Method and apparatus for conducting or facilitating a promotion

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for conducting a promotion and for distributing promotions to potential users provide a merchant or promotion organizer flexibility in the way they conduct the promotion as well as an ability to change one or more aspects of the promotion during the operation of the promotion. One or more outcomes are generated by a controller and provided to a user. In addition, one or more codes which allow the outcomes to be revealed or unlocked are generated by the controller and provided to an intermediary. In exchange for completing or satisfying a qualifying action or criteria, the user may receive a code from the intermediary. The user can then unlock an outcome to reveal a prize, benefit, symbol, value, etc., associated with the unlocked outcome. The user may provide a redemption request to either the controller or the intermediary based on the unlocked outcome to receive a benefit or prize associated with the unlocked outcome.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus forconducting a promotion and, more particularly, to a method and apparatusfor distributing promotions to potential participants and for allowingthe promotion participants to receive benefits associated with thepromotions.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Merchants and manufacturers often use promotions to entice people to tryor purchase products, shop or conduct transactions in certain stores, orto make people aware of products, store locations, sales, etc.Unfortunately, many such promotions suffer from a number of drawbacks.For example, promotions for which paper coupons, flyers, invitations,promotion entry forms, promotion rules, etc., must be printed may incursignificant printing and distribution costs. Furthermore, knowing howmany paper coupons, flyers, invitations, promotion entry forms,promotion rules, etc., to print may be difficult to predict, therebyoften causing a merchant or manufacturer conducting the promotion toprint too many or too few of the necessary items.

Additional problems for print based promotions may result when amerchant or manufacturer conducting the promotion desires to change arule, benefit, prize, entry criteria, redemption criteria, or otheraspect of the promotion once the promotion has started, or at leastafter the merchant or manufacturer has printed or distributed theprinted items necessary for the promotion. Merchants and manufacturersmay desire to change one or more aspects of a promotion while thepromotion is on-going so as to encourage more people to participate inthe promotion, to correct or change any inconsistencies or errors in thepromotion or promotion related materials, etc.

Many promotions are based on a randomized distribution of prizes amongpromotion tickets or coupons. That is, a person may be given or sold oneor more coupons or coupon numbers. If the person's coupon or couponnumber is deemed to be a “winning” coupon, the person may win a prizeassociated with the winning coupon. For example, a classic lotteryallows a person to pick or receive a set of numbers associated with alottery ticket. If the person's numbers are chosen, the person generallywins a monetary prize. Such a lottery promotion is typically conductedby a government regulated lottery organization, which contracts withmerchants to sell lottery tickets to consumers. The merchants havelittle control over the price of the lottery tickets, the prizes orbenefits associated with winning lottery tickets, the advertising of thelottery promotion, or any conditions that a consumer must satisfy beforepurchasing a lottery ticket. Therefore, merchants have little ability totailor such promotions to their products or market niches, customerdemographics, inventory levels, etc.

Thus, despite the state of the art methods and systems for conductinglotteries and other promotions, there remains a need for a method andapparatus for conducting a promotion that overcomes the problemsassociated with print oriented promotions while providing a merchant orpromotion organizer flexibility in the operation of the promotion aswell as the ability to change one or more aspects of the promotionduring the operation of the promotion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amethod and apparatus for conducting or enabling a promotion and toprovide a method and apparatus for distributing promotions or portionsof promotions to potential users. The method and apparatus of thepresent invention provides a merchant or promotion organizer flexibilityin the way they conduct or operate the promotion as well as an abilityto change one or more aspects of the promotion during the operation ofthe promotion. Such benefits can be achieved while reducing, or eveneliminating in some cases, the costs and other shortcomings associatedwith print based promotions.

Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the inventionshall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in partwill become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing or may be learned by the practice of the invention. Theobjects and the advantages may be realized and attained by means of theinstrumentalities and in combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with thepurposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly describedherein, a method for conducting a promotion includes generating anoutcome, generating an unlock code associated with the outcome,providing an indication of the outcome, providing an indication of theunlock code, and providing an indication of a benefit associated withthe outcome. In general, when created, an outcome is “locked” orotherwise hidden or covered so that any prize, value, symbol or otherbenefit associated with the outcome may only be viewed, displayed orotherwise determined after the outcome is “unlocked” or otherwiserevealed with an unlock code.

Outcomes and/or unlock codes may be generated and/or provided by acontroller or other central source. The controller or central source maybe operated by, for or on behalf of a lottery organization or otherorganization desiring to operate or conduct a promotion.

Either or both of an outcome and an unlock code may be provided to auser, user device, intermediary and/or intermediary device. Typically,an intermediary may be, include, or function on behalf of a merchant, agroup of merchants (e.g., a shopping mall), a franchisee, etc. thatdesires to operate a promotion or participate in a promotion. In someembodiments, a controller may provide an outcome to a user or userdevice and an unlock code capable of unlocking the outcome to anintermediary or intermediary device, or vice versa. The user may thenreceive the unlock code for the outcome from the intermediary orintermediary device.

In some embodiments, a qualifying action may be associated with eitherthe outcome or the unlock code. The benefit associated with the outcomemay not be provided until after the qualifying action is completed.Completion or satisfaction of the qualifying action may need to beverified in some embodiments or implementations. In other embodiments,the outcome, unlock code, benefit and/or qualifying action may have anexpiration date associated with them or they may otherwise be terminatedfrom further use.

After a user or user device unlocks an outcome, the user or user devicemay provide a redemption request or other indication to the controller.The redemption request may inform the controller of the unlocking of theoutcome, request that the user be provided with a benefit (e.g., a freedinner at a restaurant, a discount coupon, a car, five hundred dollars,a free lottery ticket, a free outcome, a free unlock code, a cruise,etc.) associated with the outcome, request another outcome or unlockcode, etc. In some embodiments, an intermediary or intermediary devicemay provide the redemption request.

There may be a one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-manyrelationship between outcomes and unlock codes. Thus, an outcome may beunlockable by one and only one unlock code or by many unlock codes. Inaddition, an unlock code may be able to unlock only one outcome or manyoutcomes. In some embodiments, an unlock code may be capable ofunlocking many outcomes, but the unlock code may not be reused after itis used to unlock a first one of the many outcomes.

To further achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordancewith the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadlydescribed herein, a system for conducting a promotion includes a memory,a communication port, and a processor connected to the memory and thecommunication port, said processor being operative to generate anoutcome, generate an unlock code associated with the outcome, provide anindication of the outcome, provide an indication of the unlock code; andprovide an indication of a benefit associated with the outcome.

Also to achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance withthe purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly describedherein, a computer readable medium for use in a promotion system, thecomputer readable medium storing a computer program including computerreadable means for producing an outcome, computer readable means forproducing a reveal code associated with the outcome, computer readablemeans for sending an indication of the outcome, computer readable meansfor sending an indication of the reveal code, and computer readablemeans for sending an indication of a benefit associated with theoutcome.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthe specification, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, and together with the descriptions serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of system components for an embodiment of anapparatus usable with the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method in accordance with the presentinvention as conducted by the controller of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method in accordance with the presentinvention as conducted by the intermediary device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method in accordance with the presentinvention as conducted by the user device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method illustrating the combination of theflowcharts of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of a method in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of a method in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a representative controller ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a tabular representation of a possible data structure for theoutcome database of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a tabular representation of a possible data structure for theuser database of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a tabular representation of a possible data structure for theintermediary database of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a representative user device ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a tabular representation of a possible data structure for theuser outcome database of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a representative intermediarydevice of FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a tabular representation of a possible data structure for theunlock database of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 16 is a tabular representation of a possible data structure for thetransaction database of FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus forconducting a promotion wherein one or more outcomes are generated orcreated by a controller or other source and then provided to a user. Auser may win, or be entitled to receive, upon the completion orsatisfaction of a qualifying action or criteria, an outcome with aspecific prize or benefit associated with it that, such as a television,ten-thousand dollars, a coupon worth a ten percent discount on apurchase of a future product, a free oil change for a car, etc.Alternatively, an outcome may not have a specific or identifiable prizeor benefit associated with it, but may have a value, symbol, or otheridentifier associated with it, such as a picture of a cherry or orange,the number “4,” an alphanumeric prize identifier, etc. A prize orbenefit may then be associated with the value, symbol or otheridentifier associated with the outcome at a later time by a merchant,manufacturer, controller or other central source, or other entity ordevice. For example, a merchant may associate a prize of a ten-percentoff coupon with an outcome of “cherry” while a different merchant mayassociate a prize of a free product with an outcome of “cherry.”

Each outcome may be generated, transmitted and/or stored by a controlleror other device in electronic form. Therefore, a user may receive ordownload one or more outcomes via electronic transmission from thecontroller and store the outcomes on a user or customer device, such asa personal digital assistant, laptop computer, cellular telephone, etc.In some embodiments, a user may be able to receive hundreds, thousands,etc., of outcomes and store and use them simultaneously on a single useror other customer device.

When originally created, an outcome may be hidden, covered up, masked,concealed, encoded, or otherwise “locked” (with includes a partially“locked” outcome) such that the result of the outcome or the prize,benefit, value, symbol, etc. associated with the outcome is not knowablesolely as a result of having possession of, or access to, the outcome.In some embodiments, a “locked” outcome cannot be revealed, accessed,displayed, determined, etc. by anyone who receives the outcome with anappropriate “unlock” code that allows the prize, benefit, value, symbol,etc., associated with the outcome to be revealed, displayed, accessed,determined, etc. The term “locked,” as used herein, should be construedbroadly and is not meant to imply or suggest any specific manner ormethod of hiding, covering, encoding or encrypting, storing, screening,concealing, masking, etc. a prize, value, symbol, or other benefitassociated with an outcome or to limit how a prize, value, symbol, orother benefit associated with the outcome is hidden, covered, encoded orencrypted, stored, screened, concealed, masked, etc.

In some embodiments, an unlock code used to unlock an outcome mayinclude or otherwise provide some or all of the information or dataneeded to associate a benefit with an outcome, identify, select orotherwise determine a benefit associated with the outcome, complete abenefit being revealed by the unlock code, etc.

In general, a user having a locked outcome will need to reveal, display,uncover or otherwise “unlock” the outcome in order to see or reveal theprize, benefit, value, symbol, etc. associated with the outcome. Anunlock code may also be generated by a controller or other device andassociated with the outcome so that a user that has or receives theunlock code from the controller can see, access, or otherwise “unlock”the previously received locked outcome, thereby allowing the user todetermine or see a result of the outcome or a prize, benefit, value,symbol, etc., associated with the outcome. As used herein, in additionto its common meaning, the phrase “associated with” for describing arelationship between an outcome and an unlock code shall also be takento describe the fact that the unlock code can unlock the outcome andthat the unlock code is capable of unlocking the outcome. Thus, anoutcome might be associated with one or more unlock codes and an unlockcode may be associated with one or more outcomes.

In some embodiments, a user or user device may receive an unlock codefor an outcome before receiving the locked outcome itself. An unlockcode can comprise or include a written, spoken or data entered password,a radio or television signal, a sequence or group of keypad selectionsor entries, a sequence or group of handwritten or spoken entries, anelectronic or electromagnetic signal, a numerical or alphanumericalsequence, a sequence, group or combination of musical notes or othersounds, words, syllables, phrases, tones, etc. to be provided audibly orsymbolically to unlock an outcome, a barcode, a decoding key, rule oralgorithm for a code or cypher, etc. An unlock code can also be basedon, include, or comprise an identifier associated with a particularuser, user device, intermediary, intermediary device, etc. receiving theunlock code or otherwise being allowed to use or distribute the unlockcode

An unlock code may also include user biometric information (e.g.,voiceprint, fingerprint, retinal scan, DNA, etc. information) so thatthe unlock code may only be used by a specific user. A controller orother device generating the unlock code may access a database ofpreviously stored biometric information when generating or otherwisecreating the unlock code. Alternatively, a user requesting an unlockcode may supply the biometric information when providing the request sothat the biometric information can be included in the unlock code orotherwise used to create the unlock code. In some embodiments, userbiometric information may also be used when creating or generatingoutcomes or to otherwise associate a specific outcome with a specificuser, change an outcome depending on which user has possession of theoutcome, etc.

Software resident and operating on a user device may keep any outcomesreceived by and stored on the user device locked until a code isavailable to unlock the outcome. When a user receives an unlock code,the software on the user device may allow the user to unlock one or moreof the outcomes stored on the user device. The user may be able todetermine or select an outcome to unlock. Alternatively, the user deviceand associated software may determine or select which outcome to unlock.In some embodiments, an unlock code may be able to unlock only oneoutcome, such as in implementations where a one-to-one relationshipexists between unlock codes and locked outcomes. An unlock code also maybe generated, transmitted and/or stored in electronic form or as anelectronic signal.

In general, one or more outcomes will be generated and provided to oneor more users or other people by a central source, such as a controller,a manufacturer, etc. The controller may also generate and provide theoutcomes and associated codes to an intermediary, such as a merchant orretailer. The merchant, retailer or other intermediary can then providea code to a user, thereby allowing the user to unlock one of thepreviously received outcomes. In some embodiments, the merchantintermediary may or may not know the prize, benefit, value, symbol,etc., associated with any outcome provided by the merchant intermediaryto the user.

In order to receive an unlock code that will activate or unlock anoutcome, a user may have to satisfy or complete one or more qualifyingactions or other criteria. Note that the terms “qualifying action” and“qualifying criteria” will be used interchangeably herein. For example,a user may have to shop at or at least visit a specific merchant,purchase a specific product, use a specific credit card to purchase aproduct, redeem a specific coupon, participate in a game or groupactivity, travel to a particular destination by a certain day, notify atleast five people of a promotion being conducted by a merchant, hand outleaflets, switch long distance telephone service providers, agree topurchase a magazine subscription, convince at least one other person todownload an outcome, attend a particular basketball game, become amuseum docent, answer survey questions, apply for a credit card, providea user identifier, provide a user device identifier, attend a merchant'sopening at a new location, commute to work via public transportation asopposed to driving a car, edit or comment on a newspaper article orbook, take dancing lessons, graduate from high school diploma or receivehigh school equivalency degree, try a new shampoo and provide commentson it, try a new restaurant, lose ten pounds, rent a vehicle from aspecific automobile rental agency, watch a specific television program,watch a specific television commercial, donate time helping a charity,log on to a specific World Wide Web site, purchase a product on aspecific day, send an email to a friend advertising a product ormerchant, etc.

The qualifying action or criteria that must be satisfied or completed bya user may be generated or otherwise identified by the central source orcontroller, or by a merchant. In some embodiments, both a central sourceand a merchant may require a user to satisfy or complete qualifyingactions or criteria before a code is provided to the user that willunlock an outcome. For example, a manufacturer acting as a centralsource may require that a user purchase a product supplied by themanufacturer in order for the user to receive an unlock code from amerchant. Thus, the manufacturer will not allow the merchant to give anunlock code to the user unless the user purchases a product supplied bythe manufacturer. The merchant may require that a user purchase, rent,etc., a product at the merchant before the merchant will provide anunlock code to the user. Thus, in order for the user to receive anunlock code from the merchant, the user must purchase one of themanufacturer's products at the merchant.

In some embodiments selection of a qualifying action may be based on auser's or user device's location within a shopping mall, location in aparticular merchant or other intermediary, location in a city, etc. Thelocation of the user or the user device may be determined via a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) detector, sensor or receiver in the userdevice, by a tracking device attached to the user or user device, etc.

In some embodiments, unlock codes may be available for free or withoutrequiring a qualifying action to be completed. For example, in someembodiments only a simple request to receive one or more unlock codes isreceived, there is no associated qualifying action for the unlock codes.In such embodiments, a user may request one or more unlock codes viamail, email, facsimile, telephone call, etc., and receive the unlockcodes via mail, email, facsimile, telephone call, etc.

Once a user has received a code from a merchant, the user can use thecode to unlock at least one outcome previously received by the user andstored on a user device. In some embodiments, the user may be able tounlock more than one outcome with a code or to select which of theuser's stored outcomes will be unlocked by the code. Once unlocked, anoutcome may reveal that the user has won or is entitled to receive aspecific prize, such as a T-shirt, car, five-thousand dollars, cruisevacation, lottery ticket, frequent flyer miles, etc. Alternatively, theunlocked outcome may reveal a symbol or value, such as “cherry.” Theuser may then have to check with or access the source of the outcome,such as a controller, to determine a specific prize or benefitassociated with an outcome of “cherry.” Alternatively, the merchant orother intermediary that provided the code to the user may designate orindicate the specific prize or benefit associated with the unlockedoutcome of “cherry.” In some embodiments, an unlocked outcome may needto be combined with other unlocked outcomes to entitle a user to receivea prize. For example, three unlocked outcomes of “cherry” may needed toentitle a user to a grand prize. Each “cherry” outcome may entitle theuser to ten dollars while the group of three “cherry” outcomes mayentitle the user to one hundred dollars.

The method and apparatus of the present invention may operate in bothlottery and non-lottery type implementations. An example of how themethod and apparatus of the present invention may operate in anon-lottery type implementation is as follows. A company, WINNetwork.com, generates one million outcomes. Predefined rules forgenerating outcomes dictate the number of outcomes that entitle users toreceive various cash prizes. For example, exactly two of the one millionoutcomes promise a prize of one hundred thousand dollars, four of theone million outcomes promise fifty thousand dollars, and so on.Therefore, the expected value of each of the outcomes is know in advanceand the frequency of each outcome is known in advance. Users can receivelocked outcomes free of charge by logging on to the company's World WideWeb site and downloading up to one thousand outcomes at any given time.WIN Network.com makes knowledge of the expected value of the one millionoutcomes available to potential users who may download or otherwisereceive the outcomes and to merchants who may purchase the codesassociated with the outcomes.

WIN Network.com also generates one million unlock codes and then sellsthe unlock codes to various merchants. Merchant A purchases twentythousand unique unlock codes. Merchant A then advertises that a user mayreceive an unlock code merely by visiting the merchant and up to tenunlock codes each time the user purchases a product at Merchant A.

A user named Sam logs onto WIN Network.com's World Wide Web site throughhis user or client device, a personal digital assistant, downloads fivehundred outcomes and stores them on his personal digital assistant.Later on, Sam visits the merchant and purchases a product at themerchant. As a result, the merchant gives Sam six unlock codes, oneunlock code for visiting the merchant and five unlock codes forpurchasing a product at the merchant. Sam receives the unlock codes inelectronic form and stores them on his personal digital assistant (i.e.,Sam's user device).

When Sam later uses the six codes to unlock six outcomes, four of thesix unlocked outcomes indicate “Sorry, please try again,” one of the sixunlocked outcomes indicates “Congratulations, you have won fivedollars!” and the sixth unlocked outcome indicates “cherry.” Sam thenlogs back onto the WIN Network.com's World Wide Web site and provides anidentifier of the outcome and the code as part of an outcome redemptionrequest. WIN Network.com then provides Sam a message that indicates thatit will send Sam a check for five dollars in the mail. The next time Samvisits Merchant A, Sam shows a clerk or other employee of Merchant A theunlocked outcome of “cherry” as part of an outcome redemption request.The clerk or other employee of Merchant A then indicates to Sam that anoutcome of “cherry” entitles Sam to receive a twenty percent discountoff of Sam's next purchase at Merchant A. Merchant A may have had apre-published list or table of what an outcome of “cherry” wins, therebyavoiding the perception that Merchant A has unfairly chosen a prizeafter the outcome of “cherry” is revealed.

As illustrated in this example, Merchant A did not necessarily knowwhich of the one million outcomes Sam had or what the unlocked outcomeswould reveal. In addition, the prize of five dollars could only beredeemed from WIN Network.com, while the prize or benefit associatedwith the benefit of “cherry” could only be redeemed at Merchant A. Thus,Merchant A had considerable flexibility in determining or establishing aprize associated with the outcome of “cherry.” In some embodiments,Merchant A may change a prize or benefit associated with an outcome of“cherry” over time without affecting the operation of WIN Network.com'spromotion. In some embodiments, WIN Network.com may let the Merchant Adetermine all of the prizes or benefits associated with outcomes.

An example of how the method and apparatus of the present invention mayoperate in a lottery type implementation is as follows. WIN Network.comobtains a batch of one-hundred thousand electronic scratch-off lotteryoutcomes from a state lottery organization. The outcomes themselves arehidden or locked using a secure encryption algorithm. However, eachoutcome is associated with a visible or otherwise ascertainable serialnumber. Along with the outcomes, WIN Network.com receives one hundredthousand decryption codes (i.e., unlock codes) from the state lotteryorganization. Using the proper decryption or unlock code, a hidden orlocked outcome may be revealed.

WIN Network.com pays the state lottery organization ninety-five centseach for the outcomes, thereby paying a total of ninety-five thousanddollars to the state lottery organization. WIN Network.com posts theencrypted lottery outcomes to a web site that is accessible to users viaa communications network such as the World Wide Web. Each user is ableto download up to one hundred lottery outcomes from WIN Network.com'sweb site.

WIN Network.com sells or otherwise provides the unlock codes to variousmerchants and other retailers for one dollar each, thus obtaining onehundred thousand dollars for all the unlock codes. Associated with eachunlock code is the serial number of the outcome that the code unlocks.

One retailer to buy the decryption codes is Blue Navy Outfitters. BlueNavy Outfitters then incorporates into its advertisements the fact thatit has unlock codes. “Shop here,” the advertisements state, “and unlockyour WIN Network.com outcomes to reveal fabulous cash prizes. If youdon't have any outcomes, just log onto WIN Network.com and download somefor free.”

A user named Linda sees the Blue Navy Outfitters' advertisement ontelevision. The advertisement catches her attention, and Linda logs ontothe WIN Network.com web site through her personal digital assistant(e.g., a Palm Pilot VII™ handheld computer) which functions as a userdevice for Linda. From WIN Network.com's web site, she downloads onehundred lottery outcomes. Linda then goes to Blue Navy Outfitters toshop. Signs are posted at the Blue Navy Outfitters store saying that thestore will provide up to five unlock codes for any purchase made overtwenty dollars.

Linda, in need of summer clothing, buys a couple of T-shirts. Herpurchase total comes to thirty-three dollars. At the cash register orpoint-of-sale terminal in the store, a cashier asks Linda if she has WINNetwork.com outcomes to unlock. Linda says that she does and presentsher personal digital assistant with the locked outcomes stored on it.The cashier attaches a connector from the cash register terminal toLinda's personal digital assistant. The cash register then scans theserial numbers of the locked outcomes stored on Linda's personal digitalassistant. The cash register terminal queries a central databaseoperated or accessible by Blue Navy Outfitters to determine whether BlueNavy Outfitters possesses or has access to the unlock codes for any ofLinda's locked outcomes. The cash register finishes its search anddisplays, “You have four outcomes for which we have the unlock codes.”The cash register terminal then transmits the appropriate four unlockcodes to Linda's personal digital assistant. The outcomes now appear asshiny gold icons on the display of Linda's personal digital assistant.Linda clicks on each outcome in turn, revealing the hidden prizeassociated with the outcome. The first three outcomes are displayed as,“Sorry, you lose.” The last outcome is displayed as, “Congratulations,you have won ten dollars!”

Linda takes home her personal digital assistant and logs onto WINNetwork.com's web site. She clicks on a special link to redeem prizes.She is prompted to enter the serial number of her winning outcome,together with the amount of the prize, which Linda does. WINNetwork.com, in turn, submits the outcome serial number and the prizeamount to the state lottery organization. The state lottery responds toWIN Network.com, saying that the prize of ten dollars is indeed thevalid prize for the corresponding serial number. WIN Network.com thensends Linda a check for ten dollars. The state lottery organizationmakes note of the prize that WIN Network.com has paid to Linda, and addsthe prize to the total amount of money owed by the state lotteryorganization to WIN Network.com. At the end of the month, the statelottery organization pays any debt owed to WIN Network.com.

A significant benefit of the method and apparatus of the presentinvention is that a promotion can be changed dynamically as a promotiondevelops and unfolds over time, thereby providing substantialflexibility to respond to user and merchant participation levels in thepromotion, user and merchant enjoyment level of the promotion, feedbackfrom users and merchants participating in the promotion, etc. Forexample, the prizes and benefits associated with a promotion can bechanged by a merchant or other entity or device as the promotion isbeing conducted to increase or decrease user interest and participationin the promotion. Thus, a merchant may have flexibility to tailor apromotion to best suit the needs, market niche, inventory levels,customer base, etc., of the merchant. Similarly, a controller operatingthe promotion on behalf of multiple merchants may be able to dynamicallyadapt the promotion to maximize the operation of the promotion for themerchants and/or for the controller.

Another significant advantage of the method and apparatus of the presentinvention is that a promotion can be conducted electronically, therebyproviding significant ease of use while increasing potentialparticipation in the promotion and lowering or otherwise limitingprinting and distribution costs normally associated with printedpromotional items (e.g., coupons, flyers, rules, prizes, outcomes,codes, etc.). An electronically conducted promotion may allow users toparticipate in and benefit from the promotion via a variety ofelectronic devices including, but not limited to, personal digitalassistants, cellular telephones, kiosks, desktop or laptop computers,workstations, etc., thereby enabling geographically widespread userparticipation in the promotion while allowing for coding, encryption,and other electronically based techniques to minimize the potential andpossibility of user or employee fraud, employee theft, etc., during thepromotion.

Another significant advantage of the method and apparatus of the presentinvention is that a user participating in a promotion may receivesignificant entertainment. Entertainment may come from the process ofobtaining unlock codes and from the manner in which outcomes arerevealed to users. For example, a cartoon character might be shown on auser device revealing an unlocked outcome. Entertainment may alsoinclude a game, such a roulette wheel, slot machine, video game, boardgame, trivia game, etc., that a user can play. Unlocking an outcome mayenhance or change play of the game, come to a conclusion in the game,increase the user's chances of winning or successfully completing thegame, etc. In addition to receiving the entertainment, the user may beable to receive a significant benefit or prize for completing anactivity that enables the user to receive a code that will unlock anoutcome that is associated with the prize or benefit.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an apparatus or system 50 usable with themethod of the present invention is illustrated. The apparatus 50includes a controller 52 that may communicate with one or more user orclient devices 54 and one or more intermediary devices 56 via acomputer, data, or communications network 58. The controller 52 may belocated at a retailer or merchant, mall, etc., or function as a serverfor a World Wide Web site.

The controller 52 preferably generates or creates outcomes and/or unlockcodes. The controller 52 may also provide outcomes to users or userdevices and unlock codes to merchants or their intermediary devices.Alternatively, the controller 52 may provide unlock codes to users oruser devices and locked outcomes to merchants or their intermediarydevices. The selection of which outcomes and unlock codes to provide towhich users, user devices, intermediaries, intermediary devices, etc.can be based on many factors, such as, for example, the location of theusers, user devices, intermediaries, intermediary devices, etc.

In some embodiments, the controller 52 may also generate or identifyqualifying actions or criteria that a user may have to complete orsatisfy before receiving an outcome or a code to unlock an outcome.After a user has unlocked an outcome, the controller 52 may receive aredemption request from a user to provide a benefit, prize, etc., withthe unlocked outcome. The configuration, operation and use of thecontroller 52 will be described in more detail below.

The user or customer device 54 allows a user to interact with thecontroller 52, the intermediary device 56 and the remainder of theapparatus 50. The user or client device 54 may also enable a user toreceive and store outcomes and qualifying actions from the controller 52and codes and qualifying actions and unlock codes from the intermediarydevice 56. A user may also use the user device 54 to provide a code oran indication of a completion by the user of one or more qualifyingactions, or an indication of a willingness or agreement by the user tocomplete one or more qualifying actions, to the controller 52 or theintermediary device 56. The user may also use the user device 54 toreceive unlock codes from an intermediary device and to unlock outcomesthat the user has stored on the user device 54. In some embodiments,after unlocking an outcome, a user may then use the user device to senda redemption request regarding the unlocked outcome to the controller 54and or the intermediary device 56. In general, a redemption requestprovided by a user indicates that the user is entitled to receive aprize or other benefit associated with a specific outcome unlocked bythe user or the user desires to receive a prize or other benefitassociated with a specific unlocked outcome identified by the user inthe redemption request. However, a redemption request may not be used ornecessary in all embodiments of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the user device or terminal 54 may also beconnected to or otherwise in communication with other devices. Possibleuser devices include a personal computer, portable computer, mobile orfixed user station, workstation, network terminal or server, telephone,beeper, kiosk, dumb terminal, personal digital assistant, facsimilemachine, etc. The configuration, operation and use of user devices willbe described in more detail below.

The intermediary device 56 may be located at a retailer or merchant,mall, etc., or may function as a World Wide Web site server in an onlineembodiment. The intermediary device 56 receives and stores codes fromthe controller 52 and transmits them to users after completion ofqualifying actions associated with the codes. In addition, theintermediary device 56 may determine what qualifying action or criteriato associate with an outcome and provide notifications of the qualifyingactions or criteria to users. The intermediary device 56 may verifycompletion of a qualifying action or criteria and provide a notice orindication of such completion to a user device or to the controller 52.In some embodiments, an intermediary device may also receive redemptionrequests from a user regarding an outcome that the user has unlocked.The configuration, operation and use of intermediary devices will bedescribed in more detail below.

The communications network 58 might be the Internet, the World Wide Web,or some other public or private computer, cable or communicationsnetwork or intranet, as will be described in further detail below. Thecommunications network 58 is only meant to be generally representativeof cable, computer or other communication networks for purposes ofelaboration and explanation of the present invention and other devices,networks, etc., may be connected to the communications network 58without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thecommunications network 58 is also intended to be representative of, andinclude all or a part of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and otherprivately or publicly operated networks. The communications network 58can also include other public and/or private wide area networks, localarea networks, data communication networks or connections, intranets,extranets, cable modems, routers, satellite links, microwave links,cellular or radio links, fiber optic transmission lines, ISDN lines, T1lines, DSL, etc. Examples of how communication between devices, andbetween devices and consumers or customers, might operate areillustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,015 issued to DeTemple et al., U.S.Pat. No. 5,950,173 issued to Perkowski, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,173issued to Nelson, the contents of all three of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

As previously discussed above, in some embodiments, the method of thepresent invention involves operation or activity by a controller orother central source, such as the controller 52, an intermediary devicelocated at a merchant, such as the intermediary device 56, and a user orother client device, such as the user device 54. Now referring to FIG.2, a method 100 in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention as performed or completed by the controller 52. In general,the controller 52 will perform or complete all of the method 100.However, some or all of the steps of the method 100 may be completed bythe intermediary device 56 and/or the user device 54.

The method 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a step 102 during whichthe controller 52 generates a locked outcome and an unlock codeassociated with the outcome, a step 104 during which the controller 52provides the locked outcome or an indication of the locked outcomedetermined during the step 102 to a user device, a step 106 during whichthe controller 52 provides the unlock code or an indication of theunlock code determined during the step 102 to an intermediary device, astep 108 during which the controller 52 receives a redemption requestfrom a user, or a user device associated with the user, a merchant, anintermediary, etc. that has received an unlock code from theintermediary that enabled the user to unlock the outcome determinedduring the step 102 and provided to the user during the step 104, and astep 110 during which the controller 52 redeems the outcome, displays,reveals or provides a benefit associated with the outcome, etc. Each ofthe steps 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 will be described in further detailbelow.

Note that in some embodiments the controller 52 may provide unlock codesinstead of locked outcomes to users or user devices during the step 104and locked outcomes instead of unlock codes to merchants or intermediarydevices during the step 106. For practical purposes, the method 100operates the same in these embodiments as the previously discussedembodiment.

During the step 102, the controller 52 generates one or more outcomes.The outcomes may be a symbol, value, prize identifier or indicator, etc.For example, the outcome may be “television,” “ten-thousand dollars,”“cherry,” “orange,” “4,” “PI-173068,” etc. The outcomes of “television”and “ten-thousand dollars” indicate specific prizes for the outcomes.The outcomes of “cherry” and “orange” indicate a specific outcome, butnot specific prize or benefit associated with the outcome. Thecontroller 52, an intermediary, or other device or entity may thenassociate prizes or benefits to these outcomes at a later time and theassociated prizes and benefits may vary. For example, on one day anoutcome of “cherry” may be associated with a prize of “ten dollars”while on the next day an outcome of “cherry” may be associated with aprize of “one hundred dollars.” The outcome of “PI-173068” provides aspecific outcome identifier, but like the “cherry” and “orange”outcomes, the outcome identifier does not indicate a specific prize orbenefit associated with the outcome, thereby allowing a specific prizeor benefit for the outcome to be determined by another entity or deviceand to change over time if desired.

Other prizes or benefits that may be associated with an outcome includea warrantee for a product purchased in the past by a user, a warranteefor a product to be purchased in the future by a user, a discount off apurchase made in the future by a user, a charity donation, ascholarship, an unlock code for one or more outcomes, a passwordallowing access to or use of a software program, a password allowingaccess to a restricted World Wide Web site, a password allowed freeaccess to a World Wide Web site, a multiplier of a outcome unlocked or aprize won by a user in the future, an extender of time during which anunlock code or outcome can be used, an extender of time during which aqualifying action can be initiated or completed, a free hair cut, acoupon, a coupon multiplier, a joke or other entertainment, a concertticket, free or discounted legal services, a free or discountedapartment or car rental, free long distance telephone service, frequentshopper points, frequent flyer miles, a free movie rental, a sample ofmusic or video, a game, a piece of a puzzle, all or part of a treasuremap or game piece, etc.

A prize or benefit associated with an outcome may be merchant specific.Thus, in some embodiments, certain outcomes may only be unlocked byunlocked codes from a designated intermediary. In other embodiments, theprize associated with the outcome may be useable only at a specificmerchant or with a promotion sponsored by a specific intermediary.

A prize or benefit associated with an outcome may also vary depending onthe user that unlocks the outcome. For example, an unlocked outcome mayprovide a user with a prize of ten dollars if the prize is redeemed onthe user's next birthday and five dollars any other day. A prize orbenefit may also vary depending on a user's purchasing history at anintermediary (e.g., a new customer of an intermediary may receive ahigher valued prize), status, credit card rating, demographicinformation (e.g., a prize awarded to a woman might be a giftcertificate to a women's clothing store while a prize awarded to a manmight be a gift certificate to a men's clothing store). A prize orbenefit may also be scalable. Thus, for example, a prize may entitle aperson to ten dollars off their next purchase of product if the producthas a price between fifty and one hundred dollars and to twenty dollarsoff if the product has a price greater than one hundred dollars.

A prize or benefit may also allow a user to continue to play a game theuser is playing on a user device, progress or change the game the useris playing on the user device, or come to an end of the game the user isplaying on the user device. For example, a user playing a roulette wheelgame on a user device may use an unlocked outcome to stop the roulettewheel from spinning. A user playing a car racing game on a user devicemay use an unlocked outcome to progress the race or to determine awinner of the race.

A prize or benefit associated with an outcome may have multiple aspectsto it. For example, an unlocked outcome may entitle a user to fivedollars now or fifty dollars if the user completes another qualifyingaction. As another example, an unlocked outcome may entitle a user tofive dollars or provide one-half of a set of outcomes that entitle theuser to a new car if the user can find the corresponding outcome in theset. In a further example, an unlocked outcome may be worth five dollarsfor a user that unlocks the outcome or fifty dollars if the user findsanother user that has the same outcome and both users unlock theiroutcomes simultaneously or in conjunction with each other.

In some embodiments, an outcome or an unlock code may have a terminationor expiration date associated with it, after which the outcome can nolonger be unlocked, revealed, redeemed, etc. Expiration dates foroutcomes or unlock codes may be used to create a sense of urgency orimmediacy in a promotion. In addition, in embodiments where only onecopy of each unique outcome may be available at any one time, expiringor terminating the outcome allows the controller 52 to associate a newunlock code or benefit to the outcome and/or to distribute the outcometo another user or intermediary. Similarly, expiring or terminating theoutcome also allows a merchant or intermediary device to change aqualifying action or criterion associated with an outcome.

Each outcome determined or generated during the step 102 preferably is“locked” in that the symbol, value, prize identifier or indicator, etc.,associated with the outcome is not revealed or otherwise discernible toa user without an unlock code. Thus, a user, user device or other entityor device cannot reveal or otherwise “unlock” the outcome without alsohaving an unlock code associated with the outcome or capable ofunlocking the outcome.

The controller 52 may lock the outcome by encrypting the outcome, suchas by encrypting the outcome using a symmetric encryption algorithm. Theencrypting key becomes the unlock code for the outcome. Other forms ofencryption are also possible. With public key type encryption, outcomesmay be locked with a public key and unlocked with a private key. Thecontroller 52 may also encode the outcomes generated or otherwisedetermined during the 102. For example, the controller 52 may convertoutcomes into universal product codes. As a further alternative, thecontroller 52 may provide a flag along with an outcome, the flagindicating whether or not a user device can display the outcome to auser. For example, an outcome generated during the step 102 and laterprovided to a user or user device during the step 104 may have anassociated flag bit. The flag bit having a value of either “1” or “0.”If the flag bit is “1,” then a program contained on the user device willprevent the user from seeing the outcome or otherwise prevent the userdevice from displaying or outputting the outcome to the user. Only whenthe flag bit is “0” will the user device reveal or display the outcome.The user may have to satisfy or complete a qualifying action or criteriain order to be able to change the flag bit from “1” to “0.” Furtherinformation on public key and other forms of encryption can be found inBruce Schneier, Applied Cryptography, Second Edition, 1996, published byJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.

In some embodiments, a user identifier may be used to generate and/orlock an outcome. An unlock code that is generated without using the sameuser identifier presumably will not be able to unlock the outcome. Thus,a specific and unique unlock code can be generated for an outcome, andboth may be associated with a particular user. The user may have toprovide the user identifier prior to receiving an outcome, so that theoutcome can be generated using the user identifier, and prior toreceiving an unlock code, so that the unlock code can be generated usingthe user identifier. In other embodiments, a user device identifier orother type of identifier may be used to generate an outcome and anassociated unlock code in order to make the outcome and unlock codeunusable with any device other than the specific user device associatedwith the user device identifier. Thus, the outcome and/or the unlockcode become associated with the specific user device.

In some embodiments, one or more of the outcomes generated during thestep 102 may be stored in an outcome database maintained, populated,controlled, and/or accessed on, by or for the controller 52. The outcomedatabase also may be accessible and usable by an intermediary deviceand/or a user device, as will be discussed in further detail below. Thecontroller 52 may assign or associate an alphanumeric identifier to anoutcome generated by the controller 52 during the step 102. Theidentifier may also be stored in the outcome database for use by thecontroller 52, an intermediary device, a user device or other entity ordevice. In embodiments where outcomes are displayed on or downloadablefrom a World Wide Web site or page, the Uniform Resource Locator (URL)for the World Wide Web site or page or the Internet Protocol (IP)address for the server, controller or host computer associated with theWorld Wide Web site or page also may be recorded or stored in theoutcome database. The outcome database may also include a useridentifier for a user who receives, unlocks and/or redeems an outcome,an intermediary identifier for an intermediary that provides an unlockfor the outcome to a user, a benefit or other payout associated with theoutcome, a benefit or payment identifier for the benefit or other payoutassociated with the outcome, etc.

During the step 102, the controller 52 may also generate one or moreunlock codes for each outcome generated during the step 102. The“generation” of unlock codes and outcomes will also be considered asincluding the identification, creation, determination, ascertainment,selection, obtainment, reservation, etc. of such unlock codes andoutcomes.

Like the outcomes, the unlock codes may be stored in an outcome databasemaintained, populated, controlled, and/or accessed on, by or for thecontroller 52. In general, an unlock code will enable a user to unlock,detect or otherwise reveal at least one outcome such that a user or userdevice or other entity or device in possession of both an outcome and anunlock code will be able to use the unlock code to reveal, detect, etc.a prize, benefit, “symbol,” “value” or other payout (e.g., “television,”“ten-thousand dollars,” “cherry,” “orange,” “4,” “PI-173068”) associatedwith the outcome or otherwise “unlock” the outcome. While the generationor other creation or identification of outcomes and the generation ofunlock codes are discussed herein as being completed during the step102, the generation or other creation or identification of outcomes maybe done in a different step or at a different time or location from thegeneration or other creation or identification of unlock codes.

In some embodiments, a one to one relationship may exist between unlockcodes and outcomes. That is, a single code will unlock one and only oneoutcome. In other embodiments, there may be a one to many relationshipsuch that a single code will unlock multiple outcomes, a many to onerelationship such that multiple codes will each unlock the same one andonly one outcome, or a many to many relationship such that a code willunlock multiple outcomes and an outcome can be unlocked by multiplecodes. Unlock codes may be reusable or not reusable, depending on theparticular implementation of the present invention. Thus, even if a codemay unlock any outcomes in a group of outcomes, the code might not beable to unlock a second outcome after the code is used to unlock a firstoutcome.

If an outcome is encrypted, the controller 52 may generate one or morekeys for an encryption algorithm used to encrypt the outcome anddesignate as a code associated with the outcome one or more keys capableof decrypting the outcome. Alternatively, if an outcome is encrypted,the controller 52 may designate or identify as a code the algorithm usedfor decoding the outcome.

An outcome may have information or instructions associated with it. Thecombination of an outcome and the associated information or instructionswill be referred to herein as a “ticket.” For example, associatedinformation for an outcome might include a promotional message sent toall users, such as “Pandelunba Airlines is the way to fly,” or apersonal message to a specific user, such as “Happy Birthday!” Theassociated information may include instructions for a user device, suchas when, how, or under what circumstances the user device is to displayan instructional, promotional or other message. For example, associatedinstructions sent along with an outcome to a user device might instructthe user device to display a promotional message for five minutes, onthe hour, every other hour, etc. If the user device includes a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) sensor or detector, the associated instructionsmay instruct the user device to display a promotion when the user deviceis in or near a certain geographic location. The associated informationmay also include details as to when an outcome or group of outcomes willexpire or can no longer be unlocked or redeemed.

The associated information may also include instructions for a user. Aninstructional message associated with an outcome may inform a user howto obtain a code that will unlock the outcome. For example, aninstructional message may indicate “go to Sepefoma's department store toobtain an unlock code” when displayed on a user device. In this example,the associated information for the outcome forms some or all of aqualifying action or criterion that must be completed or satisfied by auser before the user will receive an unlock code for the outcome.

There are many ways or techniques by which the controller 52 cangenerate or identify an outcome during the step 102. For example, thecontroller 52 can use the output of a random number generator to choosefrom a numbered list of possible outcomes, e.g., a random output of“0917” from the random number generator picks the 917^(th) outcome fromthe list of possible outcomes.

The output of a random number generator may be associated with a benefitaccording to a predefined table. For example, a random number generatoroutput of “0101” may be associated with a benefit of one dollar. Thebenefit may be or include money, frequent flyer miles, long distancetelephone calling time, web currency, etc. The table may be configuredto favor certain benefits. For example, nine of ten possible outputs ofthe random number generator may be associated with a benefit of zerodollars, whereas only one of the ten outputs of the random numbergenerator is associated with a benefit of ten dollars.

The selection of which benefit to associate with which outcome may bebased on any number of factors, including demographic information orother characteristics of a user unlocking the outcome, the location of auser or user device unlocking the outcome or providing a redemptionrequest, the location of a performance of a qualifying action used togain access to an unlock code to unlock the outcome or to receive theoutcome, intermediary information (e.g., size, location, type ofproducts or services sold, etc.), information relating to other unlockedoutcomes (e.g., the total prize value already awarded to unlockedoutcomes), etc.

The controller 52 may also identify outcomes by taking the outcomes inorder from a predefined list, the list being created by the controller52 or some other entity or device. Similarly, the outcomes that thecontroller 52 can use or select from may be received from outsidesources, including intermediary parties, merchants and retailers, etc.

In some embodiments, the controller 52 may generate additions orsubtractions to existing outcomes or lists of outcomes. The outcomes maybe undistributed and in the possession of the controller 52, or theoutcomes may be distributed and in the possession of a user. Forexample, the controller 52 may decide to add a promise or prize of tendollars to an outcome in a user's possession, and may then communicateto the user, “That outcome you have is now worth an additional tendollars when you unlock it.” The communicated message becomes part ofthe associated information for the outcome.

The benefits or prizes associated with outcomes may not be predeterminedby the controller 52. Thus, the controller 52 may generate parametersfor generating an outcome, rather than generating the outcome itself.For example, the controller 52 may generate parameters whereby a userwill receive five dollars ninety percent of the time, and fifteendollars ten percent of the time, when the user unlocks an outcome. Whenthe user later unlocks the outcome with a user device, the user deviceoperates an internal random number generator and determines a benefitfor the user in accordance with the given parameters for the outcome.The parameters described by the controller 52 may include provisions fora biometric or other input from the user. Thus, the user may be allowedto input a seed for the random number generator deciding the benefit. Inaddition, biometric information from a user may be used to generate anoutcome and/or an unlock code so that the outcome and/or unlock code maybe used only with or by the specific user. Biometric information for oneor more users may be stored in a user database for use by the controller52 or other devices.

During the step 104, the controller 52 may provide one or more of thelocked outcomes generated during the step 102 to one or more users oruser devices. The controller 52 may also provide the outcomes to anintermediary. Some users may get a large number of locked outcomes whileother users may get only one or a small number of locked outcomes. Thelocked outcomes may be received by and stored on a user device, such asa personal digital assistant, laptop computer, cellular telephone, etc.The controller 52 may record or indicate which users received outcomesor which users received which specific outcomes in the outcome database.In order to send an outcome to a user, the controller 52 may have toselect or identify a user and determine or identify the number ofoutcomes to send or transfer to that user or the user's user device. Thecontroller 52 may also provide or send associated information orinstructions to the user along with the locked outcome, such that theuser receives a ticket from the controller 52.

The controller 52 can identify a user in many ways. For example, a usermay register with the controller 52 by submitting a name, address, userdevice identifier, or other pertinent information. A user may request oragree to receive outcomes. Alternatively, a third party, such as amerchant or other intermediary, may ask or instruct the controller 52 toprovide outcomes to a specific user or ask a user to agree to receiveone or more outcomes.

A user may qualify to receive outcomes based on a test or other criteriaestablished or agreed to by the controller 52. For example, all usershaving or meeting a certain demographic profile may be eligible toreceive or download one or more outcomes. A user may have to meetcertain criteria in order to receive outcomes. The criteria may include,for example, that the user currently has no outcomes, the user has aninsufficient number of outcomes, the user has redeemed an outcome thatallows or entitles the user to receive additional outcomes, the user hasa particular shopping history, family size, survey response history,credit limit, etc. In some embodiments, a user may log on to or accessthe controller 52 and request outcomes and the user may or may not haveto pay to receive outcomes.

There are also many ways in which the controller 52 can determine howmany outcomes to provide or transfer to a user or user device. Forexample, the controller 52 may provide to a user as many outcomes aspossible, a single outcome, as many outcomes that the controller 52currently has generated, as many outcomes as a user device can store orhold, as many outcomes as the user has paid for, as many outcomes forwhich a third party has paid for on behalf of the user, the number ofoutcomes the user has requested, a standard or fixed (e.g., one hundred,ten, etc.) number of outcomes, a random number of outcomes, the numberof outcomes that the controller 52 anticipates or determines the userwill redeem, use or unlock in a given period of time, a number ofoutcomes determined in accordance with external factors (e.g., thenumber of outcomes provided is dependent on the time of day, day of theweek, the current weather, the level of a stock price, etc.), or anumber of outcomes based on user characteristics or demographic profile.The number of outcomes may also be based on the location of a user oruser device, which may be determined by a Global Positioning System(GPS) or other tracking device, sensor, detector, etc. associated with,carried by, or included in the user or user device.

The controller 52 may also provide or transfer an outcome to a user oruser device depending on the outcome's perishability. For example, ifone hundred outcomes are about to expire or terminate, the controller 52may provide all one hundred outcomes to a user during the step 104.Alternatively, the controller 52 may provide or transfer a number ofoutcomes to a user or user device in accordance with a number of codesthat the controller 52 has or will dispense. For example, if thecontroller 52 has previously provided or transferred one thousand morecodes than outcomes, the controller 52 might provide or transfer onethousand new outcomes.

The controller 52 may send or transmit outcomes to a user or user deviceelectronically, such as via email, cellular telephone call, or othermeans using the communications network 58. A user may also access thecontroller 52 remotely with a user device, such as the user device 54,and download or otherwise retrieve one or more outcomes from thecontroller 52 for storage on the user device. The user device preferablyallows for storage and retrieval of multiple outcomes and codes, as willbe discussed in further detail below. The controller 52 may also mail orsend outcomes to a user on a floppy disk CD-ROM, DVD or other electronicstorage medium. The user can then load one or more of the outcomesstored on the storage medium to a user device and store them on the userdevice. As another alternative, the controller 52 may mail a user deviceto a user, or otherwise arrange for a user device to be mailed to auser, the user device having one or more outcomes previously stored onit. In other embodiments, the controller 52 may designate a set ofoutcomes as belonging to, or being associated with, a specific user. Thecontroller 52 may then allow the user to access the designated set ofoutcomes by providing an account number or password. For example, usersmay view, retrieve or download outcomes from a password secured WorldWide Web site or page or a bulletin board.

In some embodiments, the step 104 may be completed after the step 106.In other embodiments, the step 104 may be completed immediately afterthe locked outcomes are generated or identified during the step 102 andbefore the generation of the unlock codes during the step 102.

During the step 106, the controller 52 provides one or more of theunlock codes generated during the step 102 to one or more intermediariesor intermediary devices. Like outcomes, unlock codes may carry or beassociated with information or instructions. In some embodiments, anintermediary may have to provide payment prior to or after receiving acode. Also, an intermediary, or a third party on behalf of theintermediary, may have to request to receive codes or agree to receivecodes.

An intermediary may have to meet certain criteria or fit a certainprofile in order to be eligible to receive an unlock code from thecontroller 52. For example, the intermediary may have had to run out ofpreviously supplied codes, the intermediary may have to have a number ofcodes that is lower than some predetermined number, the intermediary mayhave to be located in a certain location or area, the intermediary mayhave to have a particular employee, customer or other demographiccomposition, address, customer transaction history, company or storesize or location, survey response history, etc.

The controller 52 may send or transmit codes to an intermediary orintermediary device electronically, such as via email, cellulartelephone call, or other means using the communications network 58.Likewise, the controller 52 may mail or send a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVDor other storage medium containing one or more codes to one or moreintermediaries. The intermediary can then load one or more of the codesstored on the storage medium to an intermediary device and store them onthe intermediary device. As another alternative, the controller 52 maymail or provide an intermediary device to an intermediary, or otherwisearrange for an intermediary device to be mailed or provided to anintermediary, the intermediary device having one or more codespreviously stored on it. In other embodiments, the controller 52 maydesignate a set of unlock codes as belonging to, or being associatedwith, a specific intermediary. The controller 52 may then allow theintermediary to access the designated set of unlock codes by providingan account number or password. For example, intermediaries may view,retrieve, download, access, etc. unlock codes from a password securedWorld Wide Web site or page, bulletin board, etc.

An intermediary may also access the controller 52 remotely with anintermediary device, such as the intermediary device 56, and download orotherwise retrieve one or more codes from the controller 52 for storageon the intermediary device. The intermediary device preferably allowsfor storage and retrieval of multiple outcomes and codes, as will bediscussed in further detail below. In order to send an outcome code toan intermediary, the controller 52 may have to select or identify anintermediary and determine or identify the number of outcomes to send ortransfer to that intermediary or an intermediary device associated withor controlled by the intermediary.

The controller 52 may have to determine, identify or agree to a numberof unlock codes to be transferred or provided to an intermediary duringthe step 104. For example, the controller 52 may transfer or provide toan intermediary as many codes as possible, a single code, as many codesthat the controller 52 currently has generated, as many codes as anintermediary device can store, hold or unlock, as many codes as theintermediary has paid for, as many codes for which a third party haspaid for on behalf of the intermediary, the number of codes theintermediary has requested, a standard or fixed (e.g., one hundred, ten,etc.) number of codes, a random number of codes, the number of codesthat the controller 52 anticipates or determines the intermediary willuse in a given period of time, a number of codes determined inaccordance with external factors (e.g., the number of codes provided isdependent on the time of day, day of the week, the current weather, thelevel of a stock price, etc.), a number of codes based on a supplieduser identifier, user device identifier or other identifier, or a numberof codes based on intermediary characteristics or profile.

The number of unlock codes may also be based on the location of theintermediary, which may be determined by a Global Positioning System(GPS) or other tracking device, sensor, detector, etc. associated withor included in the intermediary or intermediary device.

The controller 52 may also provide or transfer a code to an intermediaryor intermediary device depending on the code's perishability. Forexample, if one hundred codes are about to expire or terminate, thecontroller 52 may provide all one hundred codes to an intermediaryduring the step 106. Alternatively, the controller 52 may provide ortransfer a number of codes to an intermediary or intermediary device inaccordance with a number of outcomes that the controller 52 has or willdispense. For example, if the controller 52 has previously provided ortransferred one thousand more outcomes than codes, the controller 52might provide or transfer one thousand new codes.

In embodiments where an intermediary pays for receiving or downloadingcodes, payment may be based on the number of codes that the intermediaryreceives, or the value or expected value of any prize or benefitassociated with an outcome unlocked by a code provided to theintermediary. Payment amounts for codes may vary depending onintermediary participation or satisfaction levels, user participation orsatisfaction levels, etc. For example, in an implementation where a userpays to receive unlock codes, an amount a user may pay for unlock codesmay depend on the number of users participating in a promotion, thenumber of merchants or other intermediaries participating in apromotion, the degree to which a merchant's participation in a promotionincreases sales of products or services involved in the promotion, userfeedback regarding participation in a promotion, etc.

In some embodiments, the controller 52 may maintain, update or access anintermediary database in which addresses, contact information, emailaddresses, names, etc., for one or more intermediaries are stored orrecorded. The controller 52 may record in the intermediary databaseinformation regarding which codes have been sent or provided to whichintermediary.

Each intermediary to which the controller 52 sends an unlock code mayhave a unique identifier associated with it. The controller 52 may storeunique identifiers and other intermediary information in theintermediary database. In addition, the controller 52 may storeinformation, code identifiers, etc., for some or all of the codes sentto the intermediary by the controller 52 during the step 106. Inembodiments where codes are displayed on or downloadable from a WorldWide Web site or page, the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the WorldWide Web site or page or the Internet Protocol (IP) address for theserver, controller or host computer associated with the World Wide Website or page also may be recorded or stored in the intermediarydatabase.

In some embodiments, the step 106 may be completed before the step 104.In addition, the step 106 may be completed immediately after thegeneration or identification of unlock codes during the step 102.

After the controller 52 provides an outcome to a user or user deviceduring the step 104 and a code that unlocks the outcome to anintermediary or intermediary device during the step 106, the controller52 may wait to receive the code or other redemption request back fromthe user or an intermediary during the step 108. Note that the step 108may not be used or needed in all embodiments of the present invention.The user presumably will have received the code from the intermediaryand unlocked the outcome so that that the user can view or discern theprize, benefit, value, symbol, etc., associated with the outcome. Aspreviously discussed above, the user also presumably had to complete orsatisfy a qualifying criteria or action to receive a code from anintermediary. Further discussion and explanation of how a user mightreceive from an intermediary an unlock code for an outcome will beprovided below.

During the step 108, the controller 52 receives a redemption requestfrom a user. The redemption request may be sent by a user to thecontroller 52 via mail, wire transfer, facsimile, telephone, email orother electronic transmission, etc.

The redemption request received by the controller 52 during the step 108may include or constitute a code used to unlock an outcome, a request toreceive any or all of a benefit or prize associated with an outcomeunlocked by the user, an outcome unlocked by user with the code and anyflags, information or instructions associated with the outcome, the dateand/or time at which the user received the code, the date and/or time atwhich the user unlocked an outcome with the code, an intermediaryidentifier for the intermediary from which the user received a code,description of any qualifying criteria or action the user had tocomplete or satisfy in order to receive a code, proof, verification orauthentication that the user has completed or satisfied any qualifyingcriteria or action associated with an outcome, an indication of a prizeor benefit that the user would like to receive or redeem, a useridentifier or other user identifying information, a user deviceidentifier, serial number or other user device identifying information,user security information (e.g., the user may send a password, voicebiometric, photograph, etc., to the controller 52 that enables a user toaccess an account the user has with the controller 52), etc.

In some embodiments, the controller 52 may receive a redemption requestfrom a merchant instead of a user during the step 108. For example, auser may obtain a prize from a merchant. The merchant then submits aredemption request to the controller 52 in order to recoup some or allof the value of the prize provided by the merchant to the user.

During either the step 108 or the step 110, the controller 52 may verifyan outcome. That is, the controller 52 may verify that a user trying toredeem an outcome by providing a redemption request received by thecontroller 52 during the step 108 is the user to whom the outcome wassent by the controller 52 during the step 104. The controller 52 maylook up the outcome submitted by the user, or the outcome associatedwith the redemption request received by the controller 52 during thestep 108, in an outcome database and check that the identifyinginformation provided in the redemption request matches identifyinginformation of the user to whom the outcome was originally provided bythe controller 52 during the step 104. A user password or account numberprovided in a redemption request may also serve as identifyinginformation if the controller 52 has given the password or accountnumber only to a particular user.

Another verification of an outcome that can be conducted by thecontroller 52 is a verification that the outcome was unlocked properly.The controller 52 may compare a user code submitted as part of aredemption request to the code provided in a database of the codesgenerated or identified by the controller 52 during the step 102. Thecontroller 52 may also query an intermediary or the user to ascertainwhether or not the user received the code properly from theintermediary.

The controller 52 may also verify that the value, symbol, benefit orprize associated with the outcome for which the redemption request isreceived during the step 108 is the same value, symbol, benefit or prizeassociated with the outcome when the outcome was originally generated bythe controller 52 during the step 102 or originally provided to a userduring the step 104.

The controller 52 may also verify that any qualifying actions orcriteria associated with an outcome by the controller 52 or anintermediary have been satisfied or completed by the user from whom theredemption request is received during the step 108. The controller 52may query an intermediary or the user to ascertain whether or not suchqualifying criteria or action was properly satisfied or completed.Similarly, the controller 52 may determine that the outcome has not beenterminated or otherwise perished or expired.

If a user submits multiple redemption requests or outcomes forredemptions the controller 52 may check to see if the user unlockedmultiple outcomes within an unreasonably or impossibly short period oftime. For example, it may be physically impossible for a user tocomplete all of the required behaviors or qualifying actions formultiple outcomes in a short period of time. Thus, if a user unlocked alarge number of outcomes in a short period of time, the controller 52may assume that the user has acted improperly somehow.

During the step 110, the controller 52 may redeem an outcome orotherwise provide a benefit or other payout associated with the outcomefor which a redemption request was received by the controller 52 duringthe step 108. The step 110 may also be completed by the controller 52providing an indication of the benefit or other payout. In someembodiments, the controller 52 may access an outcome database todetermine if a specific benefit has been associated with a particularoutcome and/or what the benefit is.

In some embodiments, a prize or benefit may be associated with theoutcome generated during the step 102 before the outcome is generated,before the indication of the outcome is sent during the step 104, etc.In other embodiments, the prize or benefit associated with an outcomemay not be determined until the outcome is unlocked, after a redemptionrequest for the outcome is received, after a qualifying action isperformed, etc.

The controller 52 may compensate or provide a benefit to a user in avariety of ways. For example, the controller 52 may mail cash, a check,coupons, products, gift certificates, etc., to a user, the controller 52may transfer or wire a benefit electronically to a user, the controller52 may place or post a benefit where the user may obtain it (e.g., thecontroller 52 may post digital cash to a World Wide Web site where theuser may claim or download it), the controller 52 may arrange for athird party to mail, transfer or provide a benefit to the user, thecontroller 52 may settle a user's payment for a product of service witha third party (e.g., the controller 52 arranges with AT&T Corporation topay the user's long distance phone bill), the controller 52 may procureor arrange a free or discounted service for a user (e.g., the controller52 may arrange for a professional golf player to give the user a freegolf lesson), the controller 52 may publicize a user's name, thecontroller 52 may provide or arrange for the provision of a benefit to auser designated charity or other third party, etc.

In some embodiments, a benefit associated with an outcome may change ordecrease over time during a promotion, thereby motivating users tounlock the outcome sooner rather than later. In addition, such anembodiment may encourage intermediaries to provide unlock codes foroutcomes in an expedited manner or to change qualifying actionsassociated with outcomes or unlock codes.

In some embodiments, a benefit associated with an outcome may beselected or varied depending on a location of an intermediary,intermediary device, user, user device, the controller 52, etc.associated with the outcome, associated with an unlock code used tounlock the outcome, associated with a qualifying action completed toenable access to the unlock code used to unlock the outcome, etc.

After an outcome is redeemed or provided to a user, the controller 52may update an outcome database to reflect or record that the outcome hasbeen redeemed. The controller 52 may also include information in theoutcome database regarding which unlock code the user used to unlock theoutcome, which intermediary provided the unlock code to the user, whatqualifying action, if any, is associated with the outcome, etc.

As previously discussed above, in some embodiments, the method of thepresent invention involves operation or activity by a controller orother central source, such as the controller 52, an intermediary devicelocated at a merchant, such as the intermediary device 56, and a userdevice, such as the user device 54. The method 100 previously discussedabove dealt primarily with activities of the controller 52. Nowreferring to FIG. 3, a method 200 in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention is illustrated as may performed or completed by anintermediary or intermediary device, such as the intermediary device 56.In general, the intermediary or intermediary device will perform orcomplete all of the method 200. However, some or all of the steps of themethod 200 may be completed by the controller 52 and/or the user device54.

The method 200 includes a step 202 during which an intermediary orintermediary device receives one or more codes directly or indirectlyfrom the controller 52, a step 204 during which the intermediary orintermediary device associates one or more qualifying actions orcriteria to one or more codes received from the controller 52 during thestep 204, a step 206 during which the qualifying actions or criteriaestablished during the step 204 are provided or indicated by theintermediary or intermediary device to a user or user device, a step 208during which the intermediary or intermediary device verifies ordetermines if the user has completed or satisfied the designatedqualifying actions or criteria, and a step 210 during which theintermediary or intermediary device provides at least one code to theuser, or associated user device, who completed the qualifying action orcriteria, the code being one of the codes received by the intermediaryor intermediary device from the controller 52 during the step 202.

The step 202 for the intermediary or intermediary device iscomplementary to the step 106 for the controller 52. That is, the unlockcodes provided by the controller 52 during the step 106 are received bythe intermediary or intermediary device during the step 202. A codereceived by the intermediary or intermediary device during the step 202may have associated information or instructions or comprise part of aticket, as previously discussed above.

During the step 204, the intermediary or intermediary device defines orassociates qualifying criteria or a qualifying action for a code that auser must complete or satisfy before the intermediary will provide acode to the user during the step 210. There can be many kinds ofqualifying criteria or qualifying actions that a user may have tocomplete. For example, the user might have to fill out a survey. Fillingout the survey might entail releasing private information, such as theuser's demographic data or profile. To meet intermediary criteria, thesurvey might have to pass accuracy tests administered by theintermediary or intermediary device or other entity or device. Forexample, the intermediary device 56 might verify that answers to similarquestions are consistent.

As other examples of qualifying criteria or qualifying actions, the usermight have to stand in line at a checkout counter, customer servicecounter, or at some other area for a period of time, the user might haveto visit a particular location, merchant, store area, etc., the usermight have to view, listen to, or otherwise perceive certain content(e.g. the user may be required to view an advertisement), the user mighthave to achieve a certain performance level at a game or other test ofskill or predominant skill (e.g., a cashier may have to deliver andconduct a sales transaction properly, or a pilot might have to take offor navigate successfully in a flight simulation), the user might have toachieve a certain performance level at a game of luck or predominantluck, the user might have to teach or coax another into achieving acertain performance level at a game or test of skill (e.g., the usermight have to teach a child to spell twenty words correctly), the usermay have to utter a particular phrase (e.g., the user may have to say“Coke rules” three times in a day), the user might have to wait on holdon the phone for a period of time, the user might have to commit to anaction (e.g., the user agrees to buy a specific product in the nextthree days), the user might have to pay the intermediary or some otherparty, the user might have to make a purchase of products or servicesfrom the intermediary or from some other party, the user might have toconvince others to make a purchase of a specific product or at aspecific merchant, the user might have to interact with one or morethird parties in the performance of some behavior or the achievement ofsome goal, the user might have to perform any one or more of the otherdescribed behaviors within a particular time frame, etc. A qualifyingaction may also be based on an external or unpredictable event. Forexample, a qualifying action may be based on a designated professionalbaseball team winning its next game.

After the intermediary or intermediary device has determined oridentified the qualifying actions or criteria for receiving a codeduring the step 204, during the step 206 the intermediary orintermediary device will provide or indicate the qualifying actions orcriteria to a user or user device. The intermediary or intermediarydevice may also provide an indication of the qualifying action to thecontroller 52. The intermediary or intermediary device may provideindications of the qualifying actions or criteria in many ways, such asthrough announcements or advertisements on billboards, signs,television, radio, telephone, email, public address systems, speakers,the World Wide Web, and the Internet, as well as through direct mailadvertisements. In some embodiments, the intermediary or intermediarydevice may transmit qualifying actions wirelessly to users walking by,through or near the intermediary, driving or otherwise passing by theintermediary, etc.

Qualifying criteria or actions may also be provided or listed in aproduct or on a product's packaging. For example, a message in a cerealbox might state: “send in the UPC label for this box and receive anunlock code in the mail.”

Salesmen or other representatives or employees of an intermediary maycommunicate the qualifying criteria or actions to a user. Alternatively,a salesman may travel to the user's address, or may communicate to theuser at the location of the intermediary.

An intermediary may communicate qualifying actions or criteria to a userthrough a third party. For example, the intermediary may providequalifying information to a friend of the user, who then provides theuser with the intermediary's qualifying criteria.

A user device may be programmed to communicate qualifying criteria to auser. For example, a merchant or other intermediary may sell or pass outuser devices to users. The user devices periodically display “make apurchase today to receive a code and unlock an outcome.” In someembodiments, an unlock code, when loaded onto or stored on a userdevice, may cause the user device to display criteria for receivingadditional unlock codes.

After the qualifying actions or criteria are provided by an intermediaryto a user or user device during the step 206, the intermediary orintermediary device may verify that the qualifying actions or criteriahave been satisfied or completed by the user during the step 208. Theverification process may depend on the type and scope of qualifyingaction or criteria. In some embodiments, a user's satisfaction orcompletion of a qualifying action or criteria may be assumed unless theintermediary or intermediary device receives an indication that the userhas not satisfied or completed the qualifying action or criteria. Inother embodiments, the verification process during the step 206 may beconsidered to be totally or partially completed by the intermediary orintermediary device receiving a message or other indication of awillingness or agreement to complete the qualifying actions. Suchmessage or other indication may come directly or indirectly from a useror a user device.

In some embodiments, a qualifying action associated with an outcome orunlock code may be modified, disabled or invalidated over time, therebyallowing the qualifying action to be based on external events, modifiedaccording to or based on the occurrence of an external event, etc.

In some embodiments, the verification step 208 may also include a threepart analysis during which the intermediary or intermediary devicereceives indications, information or inputs of a user's behavior, theintermediary or intermediary device characterizes the user's behaviorbased on the indications, information or inputs, and then theintermediary or intermediary device compares the user's characterizedbehavior with specified qualifying criteria to determined if the userhas completed or satisfied the qualifying criteria.

The intermediary or intermediary device may receive indications,information, inputs, etc., regarding a user's behavior in a variety ofways. For example, the intermediary or intermediary device may receive akeyword, code, etc., indicative of a user behavior, either from the useror some other party. The user might have received the keyword, code,etc., from a third party in exchange for completing an activity, such aswatching a new product demonstration or commercial, playing a new game,testing a new product, answering a survey, etc. The intermediary mayfilm, tape or otherwise record a user performing an activity or useother sensors of input devices to capture or ascertain aspects orcharacteristics of a user's behavior. Sensors may include weightsensors, touch sensors, touch screens, buttons, retinal scanners, heartmonitors, finger print scanners, thermometers, infrared sensors, bloodpressure sensors, skin conductivity sensors, breath analyzers, screenswhich record hand writing, and so on. The sensors may be part of anintermediary device, may be in communication with the intermediarydevice, or may be part of a user device.

A user may communicate or otherwise provide user behavior information tothe intermediary or intermediary device. Alternatively, an employee orother representative of the intermediary or an intermediary device, orsome other third party or device, may observe the user's behavior andcommunicate or provide observations regarding the user's behavior to theintermediary or intermediary device. Authenticating documentation mayalso be provided to the intermediary or intermediary device by theemployee, representative, or other third party or device.

After receiving or determining the information, indications, or inputsregarding a user's behavior, the intermediary or intermediary device mayinterpret or characterize the user's behavior. In some situations nocharacterization of the user's behavior by the intermediary or anintermediary device will be necessary. For example, if an intermediary'srepresentative has described a user behavior to an intermediary,presumably the representative has already interpreted the user'sbehavior or at least has provided some interpretative informationregarding the user's behavior. For example, a representative mightdescribe a user as reaching out and examining a can of soup in a grocerystore. The representative may also describe or attempt to ascertain theuser's interest level in the can of soup.

After a user's behavior is interpreted or characterized by theintermediary or intermediary device, the user's behavior can be comparedagainst qualifying criteria or actions established by the intermediaryor intermediary device during the step 204 to see if the user hassatisfied or completed the qualifying criteria or actions. Theintermediary device may maintain a database of qualifying actionsagainst which to compare a user's characterized behavior to see ordetermine if the user has satisfied or completed any of the criteria.

During the step 210, if a user has completed or satisfied the qualifyingcriteria or code established for a code during the step 204, theintermediary or intermediary device may provide the code received duringthe step 202 to the user. The user can then use the code to unlock anoutcome stored on a user device. There are many ways by which theintermediary or intermediary device can provide an unlock code to theuser. For example, the intermediary device 56 can transfer an electronicunlock code over a wired or wireless electronic connection with a userdevice, the intermediary device 56, a representative of an intermediarycan communicate the code to the user via phone, email message,telegraph, facsimile, cable modem or any other electronic means, theintermediary can mail the code to the user, or the intermediary device56 can transfer the unlock code to a third party, such as a friend ofthe user, who then transfers the unlock code to the user. Theintermediary device 56 or an intermediary's employee can also personallytransfer or verbally communicate the code to the user or a user device.The code may be printed as text, a bar code, Braille, etc., or may bestored on machine-readable medium. In some embodiments, an intermediaryor intermediary device may transmit an unlock code to a user or userdevice wirelessly as the user or user device is walking, driving orotherwise passing through, by or near an intermediary,

Once the user has received a code, the user can unlock an outcome storedon a user device, as previously discussed above. There are many ways inwhich a user may unlock an outcome, as will be discussed in more detailbelow.

As previously discussed above, in some embodiments, the method of thepresent invention involves operation or activity by a controller orother central source, such as the controller 52, an intermediary devicelocated at a merchant, such as the intermediary device 56, and a userdevice, such as the user device 54. Now referring to FIG. 4, a method300 in accordance with the principles of the present invention asperformed or completed by a user or a user device, such as the userdevice 54. In general, the user or a user device will perform orcomplete all of the method 300. However, some or all of the steps of themethod 300 may be completed by the controller 52 and/or an intermediarydevice.

The method 300 includes a step 302 during which an indication of one ormore outcomes is received by a user or user device from the controller52, a step 304 during which an indication of a qualifying action orcriteria is received by the user or user device from an intermediary orintermediary device, such as the intermediary device 56, a step 306during which a user completes the qualifying action or criteria thatentitles the user or user device to receive a code from the intermediaryor intermediary device, a step 308 during which the user or user devicereceives a code from the intermediary or intermediary device, a step 310during which the user or user device unlocks an outcome received fromthe controller 52 during the step 302, a step 312 during which the useror user device provides a redemption request to the controller 52, and astep 314 during which the user or user device receives a benefit oroutcome associated with the outcome unlocked during the step 310 withthe code received from the intermediary or intermediary device duringthe step 308.

During the step 302, the user or user device receives one or moreoutcomes from the controller 52. The step 302 for the user or userdevice is complementary to the step 104 for the controller 52. That is,the outcomes provided by the controller 52 during the step 104 arereceived by the user or user device during the step 302. An outcomereceived by the user or user device during the step 302 may haveassociated information or instructions or comprise part of a ticket, aspreviously discussed above.

During the step 304, the user or user device receives an indication of aqualifying action or criteria from an intermediary that, upon completionor satisfaction, will enable or authorize the user or user device toreceive an unlock code from the intermediary that will unlock at leastone of the outcomes that the user or user device received from thecontroller 52 during the step 302. The step 304 for the user or userdevice is complementary to the step 206 for the intermediary device 56.That is, the indication provided by the intermediary device 56 duringthe step 206 is received by the user or user device during the step 304.Note that in some embodiments, the controller 52 may provide anindication of a qualifying action directly to a user or user device.Therefore, in such embodiments, the user or user device will not receivethe indication of the qualifying action or criteria from theintermediary or intermediary device during the step 304, but willinstead receive it from the controller 52, as will be discussed in moredetail below.

During the step 306, the user completes or satisfies the qualifyingcriteria or actions provided to the user or user device from anintermediary or intermediary device during the step 304. Upon completionor satisfaction of the qualifying criteria or actions, the user or userdevice or some other entity or device may provide a message or otherindication to the intermediary or intermediary device that the user hascompleted or satisfied the qualifying criteria or action. Alternatively,in some embodiments, the user may provide an indication of a willingnessor agreement to complete the qualifying action, which suffices tocomplete the step 306.

As previously discussed above, the intermediary or intermediary devicemay verify during the step 208 that the user has, in fact, completed orsatisfied the qualifying criteria or action.

During the step 308, the user or user device receives one or more codesfrom the intermediary or intermediary device. The step 308 for the useror user device is complementary to the step 210 for the intermediary orintermediary device. That is, the code provided by the intermediary orintermediary device during the step 210 is received by the user or userdevice during the step 308. Note that in some embodiments, thecontroller 52 may provide an unlock code directly to a user or userdevice. Therefore, in such embodiments, the user or user device will notreceive the unlock code from the intermediary or intermediary deviceduring the step 308, but will instead receive it from the controller 52,as will be discussed in more detail below.

During the step 310, the user or user device uses the unlock codereceived from the intermediary or intermediary device during the step308 to unlock one or more of the outcomes received from the controller52 during the step 302. There are many ways in which a user or userdevice may unlock an outcome. For example, if the unlock code is a keyassociated with a decryption algorithm, then a user device may apply thealgorithm to the key and to the outcome stored on the user device. Ifthe unlock code describes an algorithm for decoding the encoded outcome,then the user or user device may employ the algorithm to decode theoutcome. If the outcome is embodied with scratch-off technology, theuser scratches off the space indicated by the code. If the outcomes isassociated with code bits which tell the user device whether to revealthe outcome, then the user device searches its outcome database foroutcomes that may be revealed with the obtained code. If multipleoutcomes may be unlocked, the user device may pick one outcome atrandom, reveal that one, and then reveal no others. Alternatively,outcomes may be ordered in the user device, and the user device may pickthe first of a plurality of potential outcomes to unlock according tosome ordering scheme. If the unlock code is a key for unlocking a box orother physical contraption, then the user unlocks the contraption usingthe key. If the code is a combination for a combination lock to a boxcontaining the outcome, then the user uses the combination to open thelock.

During the step 312, the user or user device provides a redemptionrequest to the controller 52. The step 312 for the user or user deviceis complementary to the step 108 for the controller 52. That is, theredemption request provided by the user or user device during the step312 is received by the controller 52 during the step 108. As previouslydiscussed above, the redemption request may include or constitute thecode used to unlock an outcome that is received by the user during thestep 308, a request to receive any or all of a benefit or prizeassociated with an outcome received by the user from the controller 52during the step 302 and unlocked by the user during the step 310, anoutcome unlocked by user with the code and any flags, information orinstructions associated with the outcome, the date and/or time at whichthe user received the code, the date and/or time at which the userunlocked an outcome with the code, an intermediary identifier for theintermediary from which the user received a code, description of anyqualifying criteria or action the user had to complete or satisfy inorder to receive a code, proof, verification or authentication that theuser has completed or satisfied any qualifying criteria or actionassociated with an outcome, an indication of a prize or benefit that theuser would like to receive or redeem, a user identifier or other useidentifying information, a user device identifier, serial number orother user device identifying information, user security information(e.g., the user may send a password, voice biometric, photograph, etc.,to the controller 52 that enables a user to access an account the userhas with the controller 52), etc.

During the step 314, the user or user device receives an outcome or abenefit or prize associated with the outcome from the controller 52 orsome other entity or intermediary associated with the controller 52, aspreviously discussed above. The step 318 for the user or user device iscomplementary to the step 110 for the controller 521. That is, thebenefit provided by the controller 52 during the step 110 is received bythe user or user device during the step 314.

Now referring to FIG. 5, a flowchart 400 is illustrated that shows thecombined operation of the method 100 by the controller 52, the method200 by the intermediary device 56, and the method 300 of the user 54.Thus, the method 400 shows the relationships of the steps 102, 104, 106,108 and 110 of the method 100, the steps 202, 204, 206, 208 and 210 ofthe method 200, and the steps 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312 and 314 ofthe method 300.

While the steps of the method 400 are shown as proceeding in thefollowing order: 102, 104, 302, 106, 202, 204, 206, 304, 306, 208, 210,308, 310, 312, 108, 110 and 314, the steps may be performed in differentorders. For example, the steps 106 and 202 may be initiated or completedbefore the step 104.

The steps 312, 108, 110 and 314 could be eliminated or changed such thatthe user provides a redemption request to an intermediary or otherentity instead of the controller 52 during the step 312, therebychanging the step 108 accordingly. In addition, the intermediary orother entity could provide a benefit to the user during the step 110instead of the controller 52, thereby also changing the step 314accordingly.

Now referring to FIG. 6, a second embodiment 500 of a method inaccordance with the present invention is illustrated. The method 500 maybe completed by the controller 52 and includes the steps 104, 106, 108and 110 previously described above. In contrast to the method 100, themethod 500 includes the step 502 instead of the step 102, during whichthe controller 52 generates one or more outcomes and one or moreassociated codes as previously described above. In addition, during astep 502 the controller 52 also generates a qualifying action associatedwith one or more of the generated outcomes or codes, in much the sameway as the intermediary did during the step 204 previously describedabove. For example, the controller 52 may require that a user purchase aspecific product, any product of a specific manufacturer, any product orservice at a specific retailer, any product or service using a specificcredit card, etc., as a qualifying action that a user must completebefore being entitled to receive a code or unlock an outcome. As anotherexample, the controller 52 may require that a user meet a specificdemographic profile in order to receive a code or unlock an outcome.Note that an intermediary may still complete the step 204 and add orassociate an additional qualifying action or criteria to an outcome orcode such that a user must satisfy or complete both the qualifyingaction or criteria identified by the controller 52 during the step 502and the qualifying action or criteria identified by the intermediaryduring the step 204.

During a step 504, the controller 52 provides an indication of thequalifying action(s) determined or generated during the step 502 to anintermediary, a user, or both. Thus, the step 504 is similar to the step104, during which an indication of an outcome is provided to a user,and/or the step 106, during which an indication of a code is provided toan intermediary.

Now referring to FIG. 7, a third embodiment 550 of a method inaccordance with the present invention is illustrated. The method 550 maybe completed by the controller 52 and includes the steps 502, 104, 504,106, 108 and 110 previously discussed above. In addition, the method 550includes a step 552 during which the controller 52 verifies a user'scompletion of the qualifying action or criteria established during thestep 502 and communicated to the user during the step 502. The method550 may be used in conjunction with the method 200 and the method 300.Alternatively, the method 550 may be used with the method 300 and notthe method 200. Thus, the method 550 is particularly useful when nointermediary or intermediary device is available or participating in apromotion and the entire activity or completion of, or participation in,the promotion occurs by the controller 52 and a user. In suchembodiment, a user or user device may receive an indication of aqualifying action or criteria from the controller 52, as opposed to anintermediary device, during the step 304. Similarly, the user or userdevice may receive an unlock code from the controller 52, as opposed toan intermediary device, during the step 308.

When no intermediary or intermediary device is available orparticipating in a promotion, the controller 52 may also conduct many,if not all, of the steps of the method 200 as well as other activities.For example, the controller 52 may determine or identify at least oneuser to whom to provide an indication of an outcome, determine oridentify at least one user to whom to provide an indication of an unlockcode, determine or identify a qualifying action or criteria forreceiving an unlock code, receive an indication of a behavior of a useror other recipient of an outcome or unlock code, characterize a behaviorof a user or other recipient of an indication of an outcome or unlockcode, compare a behavior of a user or other recipient of an indicationof an outcome to a qualifying action established by the controller 52,etc.

In other embodiments of the methods discussed above, groups of two ormore users or customers may work in a collaborative, complementary, oreven competitive relationship to obtain benefits or unlock outcomes. Insome embodiments some or all of the members of a group may know eachother while in other embodiments none of the members of the group mayknow each other. For example, each person in a group may receive thesame outcomes. In some embodiments, only the first person in the groupto unlock an outcome may receive the benefit associated with theoutcome. In other embodiments, every person in the group may receive abenefit associated with an outcome when a first person in the groupunlocks the outcome. In still further embodiments, a benefit associatedwith an outcome may not be given or provided to any member of the groupuntil all members of the group have unlocked the outcome individually.

In some embodiments, a group of people may be provided with the sameoutcome. The benefit provided to members of the group who unlock theoutcome or to the entire group may increase each time a group memberunlocks the outcome. In situations where the group members do no knoweach other, the group members may spend time locating and contactingother potential group members to share unlock codes, thereby resultingin the spreading of news and information about a promotion. Thecontroller 52 or an intermediary may coordinate or establish acommunication channel for group members, such as a chat room accessibleby the group members via the communications network 58.

In some group oriented situations, each member may have to be present ata merchant to provide a redemption request or to receive a benefit.Alternatively, the group members may have to provide a single redemptionrequest to the controller 52 or to an intermediary device or merchant.

In other embodiments of the methods described above, the controller 52or an intermediary may allow a user to indicate that the user will notuse one or more unlock codes and/or one or more outcomes previouslyprovided to the user by the controller 52 or the intermediary. Thus, thecontroller 52 and/or the intermediary gains a better understanding ofthe user's participation and interest in a promotion. In someembodiments, the controller 52 or intermediary may provide a benefit tothe user for providing such an indication or for returning unused unlockcodes or outcomes previously provided to the user.

Now referring to FIG. 8, a representative block diagram of a controller,such as the controller 52, is illustrated. The controller 52 may includea processor, microchip, central processing unit, or computer 600 that isin communication with or otherwise uses or includes one or morecommunication ports 602 for communicating with user or client devicesand/or other devices. For example, if the controller 52 is connected tothe user or customer device 54 via an Ethernet local area network andthe intermediary device 56 via a cellular telephone network, thecontroller 52 may have an Ethernet adapter as one communication port toallow the controller 52 to communicate with the user device 54 and aconnection to a cellular telephone network as another communication portto allow the controller 52 to communicate with the intermediary device56.

The controller 52 may also include an internal clock element 604 tomaintain an accurate time and date for the controller 52 and to createtime stamps for outcomes, codes, indications, redemption requests etc.,generated via the controller 52 or received by the controller 52.

In some embodiments, the controller 52 may include one or more outputdevices 606 such as a printer, infrared or other transmitter, antenna,audio speaker, display screen or monitor, text to speech converter,etc., as well as one or more input devices 608 such as a bar code readeror other optical scanner, infrared or other receiver, antenna, magneticstripe reader, image scanner, roller ball, touch pad, joystick, touchscreen, microphone, computer keyboard, computer mouse, etc. In addition,the controller 52 may include a voice recognition system or interactivevoice response unit as an input device 608 to aid in or enable receivingand processing of redemption requests, outcomes, codes, etc. Thecontroller 52 may also include a fingerprint scanner or reader, aretinal scanner, a voice analyzer, or other biometric data input deviceas an input device 608 to allow the controller 52 to identify users andother people.

In addition to the above, the controller 52 may include a memory or datastorage device 610 to store information, software, databases, devicedrivers, user information, outcomes, codes, redemption requests,qualifying action information, product or service information,encryption or cryptographic software, random number generation software,etc. The memory or data storage device 610 preferably comprises anappropriate combination of magnetic, optical and/or semiconductormemory, and may include, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM),Read-Only Memory (ROM), a tape drive, flash memory, a floppy disk drive,a ZIP™ disk drive, a compact disc and/or a hard disk. The processor 600and the data storage device 610 in the controller 52 may each be, forexample: (i) located entirely within a single computer or othercomputing device; or (ii) connected to each other by a remotecommunication medium, such as a serial port cable, telephone line orradio frequency transceiver. In one embodiment, the controller 52 maycomprise one or more computers that are connected to a remote servercomputer for maintaining databases.

A conventional personal computer or workstation with sufficient memoryand processing capability may be used as the controller 52. In oneembodiment, the controller 52 operates as or includes a web server foran Internet environment. The controller 52 preferably transmits andreceives data related to transactions, outcomes, qualifying actions,codes, etc., and is capable of high volume transaction processing,performing a significant number of mathematical calculations inprocessing communications and database searches. A Pentium™microprocessor, such as the Pentium III™ microprocessor manufactured byIntel Corporation, may be used for the processor 610. Equivalentprocessors are available from Motorola, Inc., AMD, or Sun Microsystems,Inc. The processor 610 may also comprise one or more microprocessors,computers, computer systems, etc. In some embodiments, the controller 52may also include a cryptographic processor and/or a random numbergenerator.

Software may be resident and operating or operational on the controller52. The software may be stored on the data storage device 610 and mayinclude some or all of the following: a control program 612 foroperating the controller 52 and for performing one or more of the stepsof the methods described herein; an outcome database 614 for storinginformation about outcomes generated by the controller 52; a userdatabase 616 for storing information about users, user devices,customers, etc.; and an intermediary database 618 for storinginformation regarding intermediaries, intermediary devices, etc.

Each of the databases 614, 616, 618 and their use and potential datastructure will be discussed in more detail below. As will be understoodby those skilled in the art, the schematic illustrations andaccompanying descriptions of the databases presented herein areexemplary arrangements for stored representations of information. Anumber of other arrangements may be employed besides those suggested bythe tables shown. Similarly, the illustrated entries of the databasesrepresent exemplary information only. Thus, those skilled in the artwill understand that the number and content of the entries can bedifferent from those illustrated herein. Not all of the databases 614,616, 618 will be used or needed in every embodiment of the method 100 orthe system 50. Furthermore, some embodiments of the method 100 or thesystem 50 may use none or only some of the databases 614, 616, 618. Ofcourse, there may be embodiments of the method 100 or the system 50where all of the databases 614, 616, 618 are used.

The control program 612 may control the processor 600. The processor 600preferably performs instructions of the control program 612, and therebyoperates in accordance with the present invention, and particularly inaccordance with the methods described in detail herein. The controlprogram 612 may be stored in a compressed, uncompiled and/or encryptedformat. The control program 612 furthermore includes program elementsthat may be necessary, such as an operating system, a databasemanagement system and device drivers for allowing the processor 600 tointerface with peripheral devices, databases, etc. The control program612 may include or access software to generate outcomes, unlock codes,benefits, qualifying actions, etc. and receive redemption requests andother indications. Appropriate program elements are known to thoseskilled in the art, and need not be described in detail herein.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the instructions ofthe control program 612 may be read into a main memory from anothercomputer-readable medium, such as from a ROM to RAM. Execution ofsequences of the instructions in the control program 612 causes theprocessor 600 to perform the process steps described herein. Inalternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of,or in combination with, software instructions for implementation of someor all of the methods of the present invention. Thus, embodiments of thepresent invention are not limited to any specific combination ofhardware and software.

As previously discussed above, the outcome database 614 can be used tostore information and data regarding outcomes generated, provided,redeemed, etc., by the controller 52. The outcome database 614 may bepopulated, used, accessed, and/or updated by the controller 52 duringany of the steps of the method 100.

A tabular representation of a possible implementation of, or datastructure for, the outcome database 614 is illustrated in FIG. 9. Theoutcome database 614 includes an outcome identifier field 650 which mayinclude identifiers or other identifying information for outcomesgenerated or provided by the controller 52, a distribution status field652 which may include information regarding whether or not thecontroller 52 has issued or provided the outcomes identified in thefield 650 to users, a date issued field 654 which may include dateand/or time information for the outcomes identified in the field 650that have been issued or provided to users by the controller 52, a userdevice identifier field 656 which may include identifiers or otheridentifying information for user devices to which the outcomesidentified in the field 650 have been sent or provided by the controller52, a payout or benefit field 658 which may include informationregarding a financial amount or payout or other benefit associated withthe outcomes identified in the field 650, a redeemed field 658 which maycontain information regarding whether a user has redeemed or unlocked anoutcome identified in the field 650, an intermediary identifier field662 which may contain identifiers or other identifying informationregarding the intermediary for whom a user obtained a code that unlockeda redeemed outcome listed in the field 650, and a paid status field 664which may indicate whether or not the intermediary listed in the field662 paid for the unlock code that a user used to unlock or redeem anoutcome listed in the field 650.

While the outcome database 614 illustrated in FIG. 9 providesinformation for three outcomes 666, 668, and 670 identified by theoutcome identifiers “O-000001,” “O-000002” and “O-000003,” respectively,in the outcome identifier field 650, there is no limit to the number ofoutcomes for which information can be stored in the outcome database 614and different fields may be used in the outcome database 614.

As previously discussed above, the user database 616 can be used tostore information and data regarding users, user devices, etc. The userdatabase 616 may be populated, used, accessed, and/or updated by thecontroller 52 during any of the steps of the methods disclosed herein. Atabular representation of a possible implementation of, or datastructure for, the user database 616 is illustrated in FIG. 10.

The user database 616 includes a user device identifier field 700 whichmay include an identifier or other identifying information for a userdevice, a user name field 702 which may includes the names of usersassociated with the user devices identified in the field 700, afinancial account identifier field 704 which may include financialaccount numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, etc., forthe users identified in the field 702, and a contact information field706 which may include telephone numbers, postal addresses, emailaddresses, facsimile numbers, or other contact information for the userslisted in the field 702.

While the user database 616 illustrated in FIG. 10 provides informationfor three user devices and associated users 708, 710, 712 identified bythe user device identifiers “UD-234D,” “UD-593D” and “UD-202D,”respectively, in the user device identifier field 700, there is no limitto the number of users, user devices, etc., for which information can bestored in the user database 616 and different fields may be used in theuser database 616.

As previously discussed above, the intermediary database 618 can be usedto store information and data regarding intermediaries, intermediarydevices, etc. The intermediary database 618 may be populated, used,accessed, and/or updated by the controller 52 during any of the steps ofthe methods disclosed herein. A tabular representation of a possibleimplementation of, or data structure for, the intermediary database 618is illustrated in FIG. 11.

The intermediary database 618 includes an intermediary device identifierfield 720 which may include an identifier or other identifyinginformation for an intermediary device, an intermediary name field 722which may include the names of intermediaries associated with theintermediary devices identified in the field 720, and a contactinformation field 724 which may include telephone numbers, postaladdresses, email addresses, facsimile numbers, or other contactinformation for the intermediaries listed in the field 720.

While the intermediary database 618 illustrated in FIG. 11 providesinformation for three intermediary devices and associated intermediaries726, 728, 730 identified by the intermediary device identifiers“ID-353,” “ID-251” and “ID-933,” respectively, in the intermediarydevice identifier field 720, there is no limit to the number ofintermediaries, intermediary devices, etc., for which information can bestored in the intermediary database 618 and different fields may be usedin the intermediary database 618.

Now referring to FIG. 12, a representative block diagram of a user orother customer device, such as the user device 54, is illustrated. Theuser device 54 may include a processor, central processing unit,microchip, or computer 750 that is in communication with or otherwiseuses or includes one or more communication ports 752 for communicatingwith the controller 52 and/or with the intermediary device 56 and/orother devices. For example, the user device 54 may have an infrared orother wireless transmitter as one communication port to allow the userdevice 54 to wirelessly communicate with the controller 52. In addition,if the user device 52 is connected to the controller 52 via an Ethernetlocal area network, the user device 54 will preferably include anEthernet adapter as a communication port to allow the user device 54 tocommunicate with the controller 52.

The user device 54 may include one or more output devices 754 to allow auser to hear, print or view information, messages, codes, outcomes,qualifying actions, etc., received from the controller 52 or anintermediary device, such as a printer, audio speaker, infrared or othertransmitter, antenna, display screen or monitor, text to speechconverter, etc., as well as one or more input devices 756 for receivinginformation, messages, indications, etc., from a user, such as a barcode reader or other optical scanner, infrared or other receiver,antenna, magnetic stripe reader, image scanner, roller ball, touch pad,joystick, touch screen, microphone, computer keyboard, computer mouse,etc. A user device 54 may include a voice recognition system orinteractive voice response unit as an input device 756 to aid inreceiving and processing inputs or entries made by a user. The userdevice 54 may also include a fingerprint scanner or reader, a retinalscanner, a voice analyzer, or other biometric data input device as aninput device 756 to allow the user device 54 to be accurately identifiedor to allow a user to provide biometric information as part of aredemption request, outcome request, or unlock code request.

In addition to the above, the user device 54 may include a memory ordata storage device 758 to store information, software, databases,device drivers, customer information, customer identifications,outcomes, codes, qualifying actions, encryption or cryptographicsoftware, random number generation software, etc. The memory or datastorage device 758 preferably comprises an appropriate combination ofmagnetic, optical and/or semiconductor memory, and may include, forexample, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), a tapedrive, flash memory, a floppy disk drive, a ZIP™ disk drive, a compactdisc and/or a hard disk.

The user device 54 may also include an internal clock element 759 tomaintain an accurate time and date for the user device 54, create timestamps for information, outcomes, codes, qualifying actions, etc.,generated or received via the user device 54. In some embodiments, theuser device 54 may also include a cryptographic processor and/or arandom number generator.

As previously discussed above, user devices may comprise or include apersonal computer, portable computer or laptop computer, mobile or fixeduser station, workstation, network terminal or server, telephone,beeper, kiosk, dumb terminal, personal digital assistant, facsimilemachine, etc. In some embodiments, the user device 54 may also functionas the controller 52 or as an intermediary device. Also, the user device54 may include a control program similar to the control program 612previously discussed above for the controller 52.

In some embodiments, the user device 54 may have a unique serial numberor other user device identifier associated with it or encoded on it thatis accessible via software. For example, the Palm Pilot™ series ofpersonal digital assistants manufactured by Palm. Inc. uses a softwareaccessible serial number. The serial number may be used to associatespecific outcomes and/or unlock codes with a specific user device sothat an unlock code can only be used to unlock or otherwise revealoutcomes on the specific user device, an outcome can only be stored onor used by a specific user device, etc. The serial number may beprovided by a user or the user device when a user is requesting orreceiving outcomes and/or unlock codes.

In some embodiments, the user device 54 may include a Global PositioningSystem (GPS) detector, sensor or receiver or other tracking device sothat the location or position of the user device 54, or the location orposition of a user associated with the user device 54, can beascertained. As previously discussed above, different outcomes, unlockcodes, benefits, qualifying actions, etc. may be provided to a user ortransmitted to a user device based on the user's or user device'slocation.

The user device 54 may include a user outcome database 760 to storeinformation and data regarding outcomes received by the user device. Theuser outcome database 76 may be populated, used, accessed, and/orupdated by the user device 54 when receiving outcomes, codes, qualifyingactions, etc., during any of the steps of the methods 100, 300. Atabular representation of a possible implementation of, or datastructure for, the user outcome database 760 is illustrated in FIG. 13.

The outcome database 760 includes an outcome position field 800 whichmay include information regarding an order in which outcomes werereceived, an order in which outcomes are to be unlocked, an order ofexpiration for one or more outcomes, etc., an outcome identifier field802 which may include identifiers or other identifying information foroutcomes received from the controller 52, a payout field 804 which mayinclude information regarding a financial amount or payout associatedwith the outcomes identified in the field 802, a status field 806 whichmay contain information regarding whether a user has used, redeemed orunlocked an outcome identified in the field 802, an unlock code field808 which may contain information regarding a code used to unlock theoutcomes identified in the field 802, a category field 810 which maycontain information regarding the type of prize an outcome may reveal(e.g., “Gold” outcomes may have a higher expected value than other typesof outcomes), and an intermediary identifier field 812 which may containidentifiers or other identifying information regarding the intermediaryfor whom a user obtained a code listed in the field 808 that the userused to unlock the corresponding outcome identified in the field 650,and a paid for field 664 which may indicate whether or not theintermediary listed in the field 802 has been paid.

While the user outcome database 760 illustrated in FIG. 13 providesinformation for three user outcomes 814, 816 and 818 identified by theoutcome position identifiers “OP-0001,” “OP-0002” and “OP-0003,”respectively, in the outcome position identifier field 800, there is nolimit to the number of outcomes for which information can be stored inthe user outcome database 760 and different fields may be used in theuser outcome database 760.

Now referring to FIG. 14, a representative block diagram of anintermediary device, such as the intermediary device 56, is illustrated.The intermediary device 56 may include a processor 850, a communicationsport 852, a clock 854, an output device 856, an input device 858, astorage device 860, and a control program 862. The processor 850, acommunications port 852, a clock 854, an output device 856, an inputdevice 858, a storage device 860, and a control program 862 may work ina similar fashion to the processor 600, communications port 602, clock604, output device 606, input device 608, storage device 610, andcontrol program 612, respectfully, in the controller 52 previouslydescribed above. In addition, the intermediary device 56 may include anunlock database 880 for storing information regarding codes received bythe intermediary device from the controller 52 and provided to users, aswell as any qualifying actions or criteria associated with the codes,and a transaction database 882 for storing information regardingtransactions that the intermediary device 56 is conducting orparticipating in.

As previously discussed above, the user unlock database 880 can be usedto store information and data regarding codes and qualifying actions orcriteria associated with outcomes. The unlock database 880 may be used,accessed, and/or updated by the intermediary device 56 during any of thesteps of the method 200. A tabular representation of a possibleimplementation of, or data structure for, the user unlock database 880is illustrated in FIG. 15.

The database 880 includes an activity identifier field 900 which maycontain identifiers or other identifying information regardingqualifying actions or criteria that may need to be performed by a userbefore the intermediary will provide a code to the user, an activitydescription field 902 which may contain description information for thequalifying actions or criteria identified in the field 900, and anunlock code field 904 which may contain information regarding whichunlock codes will be provided to a user once the user completes orsatisfies the qualifying criteria or actions identified in the field900. While the user unlock database 880 illustrated in FIG. 15 providesinformation for two qualifying activities 906 and 908 identified by theactivity identifiers “A-001 and “A-002,” respectively, in the activityidentifier field 900, there is no limit to the number of activities orcodes for which information can be stored in the user unlock database880 and different fields may be used in the user unlock database 880.

As previously discussed above, the transaction database 882 can be usedto store information and data regarding transactions, outcomes, codes,user devices, users, etc. The transaction database 882 may be used,accessed, and/or updated by the intermediary device 56 during any of thesteps of the method 200. A tabular representation of a possibleimplementation of, or data structure for, the transaction database 882is illustrated in FIG. 16.

The transaction database 882 includes a transaction identifier field 902which may contain identifiers or other identifying information fortransactions completed, initiated or otherwise conducted by theintermediary, an unlock code field 922 which may contain codes receivedor provided by the intermediary during the transactions identified inthe field 920, a date/time field 924 which may include date and/or timeinformation for the transactions identified in the field 920, and a userdevice identifier field 926 which may include user device identifiersfor user devices involved in the transactions identified in the field920.

While the transaction database 882 illustrated in FIG. 16 providesinformation for two transactions 928 and 930 identified by thetransaction identifiers “T-0001” and “T-0002,” respectively, in thetransaction identifier field 920, there is no limit to the number oftransactions for which information can be stored in the transactiondatabase 882 and different fields may be used in the transactiondatabase 882.

The foregoing description is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modificationsand changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and processshown and described above. Accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be considered as falling within the scope of theinvention as defined by the claims that follow. Further, even thoughonly certain embodiments have been described in detail, those havingordinary skill in the art will certainly understand that manymodifications are possible without departing from the teachings thereof.All such modifications are intended to be encompassed within thefollowing claims.

The present invention may be embodied as a computer program developedusing an object oriented language that allows the modeling of complexsystems with modular objects to create abstractions that arerepresentative of real world, physical objects and theirinterrelationships. However, it would be understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art that the invention as described herein can beimplemented in many different ways using a wide range of programmingtechniques as well as general purpose hardware systems or dedicatedcontrollers. In addition, many, if not all, of the steps for the methodsdescribed above are optional or can be combined or performed in one ormore alternative orders or sequences without departing from the scope ofthe present invention and the claims should not be construed as beinglimited to any particular order or sequence, unless specificallyindicated.

While specific implementations and hardware configurations for thecontroller 52, user device 54, and intermediary device 56 have beenillustrated, it should be noted that other implementations and hardwareconfigurations are possible and that no specific implementation orhardware configuration is needed. Therefore, many different types ofimplementations or hardware configurations can be used in the system 50and with the methods 100, 200, 300, 500, 550 and the methods disclosedherein are not limited to any specific hardware configuration.

Each of the methods described above can be performed on a singlecomputer, computer system, microprocessor, etc. In addition, two or moreof the steps in each of the methods described above could be performedon two or more different computers, computer systems, microprocessors,etc., some or all of which may be locally or remotely configured. Themethods can be implemented in any sort or implementation of computersoftware, program, sets of instructions, code, ASIC, or speciallydesigned chips, logic gates, or other hardware structured to directlyeffect or implement such software, programs, sets of instructions orcode. The computer software, program, sets of instructions or code canbe storable, writeable, or savable on any computer usable or readablemedia or other program storage device or media such as a floppy or othermagnetic or optical disk, magnetic or optical tape, CD-ROM, DVD, punchcards, paper tape, hard disk drive, ZIP™ disk, flash or optical memorycard, microprocessor, solid state memory device, RAM, EPROM, or ROM.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat directly or indirectly participates in providing instructions to aprocessor for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, includingbut not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmissionmedia. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magneticdisks. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory (DRAM).Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics,including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to a processor.Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic, electrical orelectromagnetic waves, such as those generated during radio frequency(RF) and infrared (IR) data communications.

The connections or communications between user devices, intermediarydevices, the controller 52, etc., discussed herein is only meant to begenerally representative of cable, computer, telephone, or othercommunication or data networks and methods for purposes of elaborationand explanation of the present. The connections are also intended to berepresentative of, and include all or a part of, the Internet, the WorldWide Web, and other privately or publicly operated networks, includingwide area networks, local area networks, data communication networks orconnections, intranets, extranets, cable modems, routers, satellitelinks or networks, microwave links or networks, cellular telephone orradio links, fiber optic transmission lines, ISDN lines, T1 lines, etc.In addition, as used herein, the terms “computer,” “user device,”“terminal,” “client,” “device,” “customer device” and “client device”are generally interchangeable and are meant to be construed broadly andto include, but not be limited to, all clients, client devices ormachines, personal digital assistants and palm top computers, cashregisters, terminals, computers, point-of-sale devices, processors,servers, etc., connected or connectable to a computer or datacommunications network and all devices on which Internet-enabledsoftware, such as the NETSCAPE COMMUNICATOR™ or NAVIGATOR™ browsers,MOSAIC™ browser, or MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER™ browsers, can operateor be run. The term “browser” should also be interpreted as includingInternet-enabled software and computer or client software that enablesor allows communication over a computer network and Internet-enabled orWorld Wide Web enabled, monitored, or controlled devices such as WebTV™devices, household appliances, phones, etc.

The words “comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,”and “includes” when used in this specification and in the followingclaims are intended to specify the presence of stated features,elements, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude thepresence or addition of one or more other features, elements, integers,components, steps, or groups thereof.

1. A method for conducting a promotion, comprising: generating anoutcome; generating an unlock code capable of unlocking said outcome;providing an indication of said outcome; providing an indication of saidunlock code; and providing an indication of a benefit associated withsaid outcome. 2-162. (canceled)